Blogging Blogs

Want to get away from it all?

2007-04-19T13:11:00.000-04:00

I certainly do. I mean, who wouldn't want to take a nice, luxurious vacation and escape all the pressures and annoyances of the modern world? And with summer right around the corner, now's the time to start (or finalize) your summer vacation plans. While you've likely heard of discount travel opportunities through sites like Travelocity, Expedia, or even Priceline, you may not have heard of this great program called leisuretime promotions, a vacation international points club.

It sounds like a great program, especially for those who like to do a lot of traveling. You get benefits like generous flights, hotel and car rental discounts, plus other exclusive travel benefits. There's even a dedicated reservation line for VIP members, so you won't have to deal with getting stuck on hold. So go on, check it out!

Nannies have blogs too

2007-03-28T00:41:00.000-04:00

It seems that everyone these days has a blog, and nannies are no exception. While many nannies have personal blogs that they use for whatever their hearts desire, other nannies have used the blogging platform to get in touch with other nannies around the world, share their stories, and keep up to date on nanny industry news.

One of the leading nanny blogs is nannyclassifieds.com, which is not only a great resource and community for nannies, but also for those hunting for their perfect nanny. It gives some great tips on finding a good nanny, such as doing a background check nanny, using referral services, and more.

It's a very well put together site that I'd recommend visiting.

Worst Year for Ford

2007-01-29T12:16:00.001-05:00

Ford on Thursday had the worst year in its 103-year history with a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss and said it would cut production this quarter and lose market share through September. The No. 2 US carmaker posted a fourth-quarter net loss of almost US$5.8 billion (£2.9 billion), or US$3.05 per share, on declining lorry sales and charges for employee buyouts. That compared to a loss of US$74 million, or 4 cents per share, a year ago.  Ford's loss from continuing operations was US$1.10 a share, wider than the average Wall Street analyst expectation for a loss of 94 cents, according to Reuters Estimates.  For the full year, Ford posted a record loss of US$12.7 billion, leaping past the company's previous record net loss of US$7.39 billion in 1992 when the industry was reeling from a recession in the US economy.  Ford, like its Detroit-based rivals, was hit hard in 2006 as high gas prices and interest rates drove consumers away from the trucks and sport utility vehicles that had accounted for most of its sales and profits.

The Money Management Blog is a personal and business finance site. Includes resources relating to banking, credit and loans, careers, mortgages, investments, tax and much more…

Russian teen jailed for stalking Duff

2007-01-29T12:12:00.000-05:00

Judge Thomas Sokolov in Torrance Superior Court (south of Los Angeles) this week sentenced an 18 year-old Russian immigrant to four months imprisonment for stalking 19 year-old actress -singer Hilary Duff.

Duff and then-boyfriend, rock singer Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, had taken out restraining orders against the Russian late last year. But he was then arrested in November when a private investigator retained by Hilary Duff, alleged that the young Russian had threatened to kill her. Myaskovskiy was ordered to be held in Los Angeles County jail immediately after he pleaded no contest to the stalking charge. He was also sentenced to five years' probation.

World of movies offers movie trailers for all the latest and upcoming movie releases. We've got it all, comedies, horror movies, action movies, thriller movies, movie bloopers, movie out-takes and more…

Horror movies, Comedy movies, Movie Bloopers

Myspace music review : BLACK LIGHT BURNS

2007-01-29T12:11:00.001-05:00

With members who’ve variously served in Limp Bizkit, Nine Inch Nails, and A Perfect Circle, Black Light Burns promises the worst aspects of all those. Happily, such is not the case, at least with “Cruel Melody,” which combines the tunefulness of A Perfect Circle with some of Trent Reznor’s more approachable moments, and “Animal,” a synth-driven track that wouldn’t be out of place on a recent Depeche Mode album. Actually, given the goth makeup the group seems fond of, a little more cacophony wouldn’t be unwelcome, but for now the commercial smarts on display point to a bright future.

Wise Guys is a MySpace resource site offering loads of myspace stuff to pimp your profile. We've got it all, myspace layouts, myspace graphics, myspace generators, myspace surveys and much more…

myspace layouts, myspace graphics, myspace surveys

Lingerie magnate Janet Reger dies

2007-01-29T12:10:00.001-05:00

Janet Reger was a lady who was well known in the lingerie world. She died in March 2005 after a long battle with cancer.

She started designing lingerie in 1960 in London, England; and was known for designing bras, corsets, and nightdresses. In 1983, her company suffered some financial set backs, but she rebuilt her empire and continued to successfully design beautiful lingerie.

Her daughter, Aliza has helped run her business since 1998 and will continue to run the business in her mother’s memory.

Janet Reger designed lingerie for many celebrities such as Princess Diana, Jerry Hall, and Rod Stewart.

Free auctions - Online- auction -site
Free auctions ia an auction website where you can list your auction for free. Comissions are much lower than ebays. You can buy or sell home electronics, cars, atvs, satellite equipment, clothing, collectibles, sporting goods, computers, digital cameras, adult toys and everything else. Free auctions has less restrictions on allowed listings. It is fully integrated with paypal. But users can opt to use other services like moneybookers 2checkout and any other processor they wish.

Free auctions, Adult toys auction, Home electronics Auction, Computer Auction

Lohan calls it a day (or night)

2007-01-29T12:09:00.001-05:00

Lindsay Lohan, notable in the press over recent times for the endless ‘battling addictions’ saga, has called the whole wild child party thing off, according to her Hollywood friends.
The twenty-year old, out-of-control actress last week checked herself into the exclusive – and expensive – Wonderland Centre that provides treatment and rehabilitation programmes for clients suffering drug and/or alcohol dependence.
“I have made a decision to take control of my health,” Lohan said.
In spite of reportedly joining Alcoholics Anonymous last year, the party girl was reported to have been visibly ‘over the top’ at a Golden Globes bash early in January.

How to Choose HDTV Antenna High definition TV is exploding as all cable and satellite TV providers now offer paid HDTV programming. Consult HDTV antenna selection guide. The guide will lead you step-by-step to selecting the right HDTV antenna for you. There are many antenna brands and models available -Terk, Winegard, ChannelMaster to name a few. Read HDTV antenna reviews before choose the specific model.

Movie review : MUST LOVE DOGS

2007-01-29T12:08:00.001-05:00

Must Love Dogs is a romantic comedy starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. It is a movie that promotes internet dating.

It is a story about two people who are struggling in meeting the right person. Diane Lane plays Sarah who is a school teacher is finds herself torn between the father of one her students and a man she met on an internet dating service that was set up by her sister.

It is a romantic comedy about finding the right person and what people will do to find that special someone. Finding the right person may just be a click away.

Blockbuster Online Review Compare Blockbuster and Netflix to see that Blockbuster has much more to offer. Look at the current promotions available at Movie Rental Point

Where to stay in Dubai

2007-01-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

While you are visiting Dubai, you will need a place to stay. You can choose between hotels and apartments.

There are hotels in Dubai that can meet every travel’s expectations and budget. Most of the hotels offer quality, comfortable services.

You can also lease an apartment in Dubai if your stay will be extended. There are furnished and unfurnished apartments available. There are even apartments for men, for women, or for the entire family.

There are several nice and inexpensive places to stay while visiting Dubai. No matter if you want a hotel or an apartment; there is something for you.

Dubai Travel & Emirates Tourism
Dubai Travel & Tourism, Dubai real estate, Shopping in Dubai, Jobs &
employment in Dubai, Dubai Palm Island

Most Wanted 2007

2007-01-29T12:05:00.000-05:00

Gamers want to know - what is the most anticipated-for game for the year 2007? Well, there are various answers to this question. According to SCEA games, it is definitely God Of
War 2 (for the Playstation 2), where a gamer finds himself in ancient Rome, battling monsters and rescuing Goddesses. But Microsoft Game Studios reveals the next generation Sci-fi game, Mass Effect. Other game titles coming up in 2007 are-
Tomb Raider Anniversary, Burnout 5, Half Life Episode Two and Final Fantasy 13. But what everyone is waiting for the most is Halo 3! Halo 3 is a sequel to one of the most bestselling games ever. Game developers in Microsoft ensure that this will be THE best game of 2007 and one of the most influential first person shooters ever. Well, we just have to wait and see for ourselves!!

Directory Submission - Top Web Directories
Best-Web-Directories.com provides detailed rankings and site reviews of the the best directories to submit your website to. They have three pages of detailed rankings in their "Best Of" free web directory listings. Best Web Directories also provides rankings of the top paid directories. For the budget conscious, they have a list of inexpensive paid directories, with rankings of directories that charge less than $10. Niche directory listings include SEO, webmaster, travel, legal and blogs. For example, visit their comprehesive list of travel directories.

Best Web Directories also offer a manual directory submission service. Have your website submitted by directory professionals. They really know directories. Don't wait. Visit Best-Web-Directories.com today.

A Rise in EBay’s Profit

2007-01-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

EBay Inc's quarterly net profit rose 24 percent, aided by strength in its core auction business and international growth, and the company said 2007 earnings would be at the high end of analysts' forecasts. Shares surged 7.3 percent to US$32.20 in extended trade following the results, adding to a 4.8 percent rise in regular-session trading ahead of the report, when it was buoyed by a surge in Internet stocks and the broader US market.  The company reported on Wednesday a rise in net income for the fourth quarter to US$346.5 million (£176 million), or 25 cents a share, from the year-earlier quarter's net income of US$279.2 million, or 20 cents a diluted share.  Wall Street was looking for a fourth-quarter net profit, on average, of 22 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates. EBay said it expected first-quarter net revenue of US$1.67 billion to US$1.72 billion, squarely in the middle of current estimates. Analysts forecasts ranged from US$1.65 billion to US$1.75 billion for the quarter, according to Reuters Estimates.  The company expects first-quarter diluted earnings per share, excluding one-time items, in a range of 28 cents to 30 cents. For the 2007 year, eBay said it expected revenue from US$7.05 billion to US$7.30 billion.

Dm Web Directory Add your website to the Internet's fastest growing web directory. A powerful high quality human edited web directory offering family friendly, and spam-free sites organized in a comprehensive category structure. There are many different web directory catagories including business directory, computer directory and shopping directory

Every penny earned as a result of the Dm Web Directory will be put back into the SEO of the directory. You can rest assured that your submission will provide you with a high quality backlink.

Idea of paid entries roils Wikipedia

2007-01-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, a blogger revealed the fact that Microsoft had offered to pay him money to fix up certain ‘inaccuracies’ in content in technical articles printed in Wikipedia. This led to great controversy, with online slams and rebukes form several different quarters.
However, what makes it such a bad idea for Wikipedia to offer to pay someone to write something for the site? The problem, say experts, may be that not all writers would be able to adhere to ‘neutrality’, which can be the very basis for a good article. If the article is not neutral, then what good would it be, is the question being raised today.

Quality-cartridges are a UK retailer of printer cartridges. There Printer Cartridges are an excellent buy and you could save upto 70% of the retail price. You can get Original, Compatible or remanufactured printer cartridges for Epson, Lexmark, Canon and HP delivered to your door for free in the UK and Europe.

printer cartridges. We sell Lexmark, Epson, Canon and HP printer cartridges in the UK and Europe. All printer cartridges are shipped for free.

Aero India 2007 attracts record foreign participation

2007-01-29T11:59:00.001-05:00

Aero India has been considered to be one of the more prestigious aeroshows and aero events to be held in India in recent times. The show is due to be opened in February 2007, and it will be hosted at the Air Force Base in Bangalore.
The Defense Exhibition Organization, or the DEO is responsible for organizing this show, and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Farnborough International Limited have assumed responsibilities as event managers.
A much awaited event, the show will showcase aerospace products from all over the world will be on display at the show, and an extraordinary flying display will also be held to thrill the audience.

Online resume writing with a great Multilingual Resume Builder, 4 Certified Professional Resume Templates and Europass CV Builder. Host online resume, create and get a great Resume and CV in English, French and Spanish.

Mobiles navigate the future

2007-01-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

According to the mobile phone industry, the GPS or the Global Positioning System, currently used by car drivers in their navigation across town, by sailors for navigation across seas, and by other individuals who need such a system for a unique purpose of their own, will now be provided for mobile phone users across the country.
"GPS has been in the domain of the early adopters to date, but in 2007 it will come to the masses," said Marcus Dacombe, head of product marketing at handset manufacturer Nokia, and when GPS becomes so easily accessible, then the users can plan their schedules better, and also find their locations when they are lost, or when a buddy is lost.

Mad4 Mobile Phones Uk mobile phone news website offering the latest handset reviews. Mad4 mobile phones, Motorola Moto RIZR Z6 the RAZR slider phone, Sony Ericsson W200i Walkman phone first look, Nokia N93i a slimmed down and improved N93, Verizon mobile TV and the LG 9400

Nintendo profits boosted by Wii

2007-01-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

From the month of April, until December, the popular Japanese firm Nintendo has been amassing profits, in the main because of its freshly launched Wii games machine in November, and also its DS console. The firm Nintendo has supposedly been able to meet its targeted sales of 4 million units at the end of 2006. The Wii games console is in direct and stiff competition with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, but according to Nintendo asset manager Yasuhink Hirakawa, the Wii is the true winner all the way, because the players can actually use the game unit like a ‘wand’.

Broadband comparison website which compares latest offers and deals from leading ISPs. Unique articles, guides and consumer reviews on ISPs in the UK.

Ninja kitten band wins Coke battle

2007-01-29T11:39:00.000-05:00

A British band called 7 Seconds of Love has reached an agreement with the Coca-Cola Company after the band’s materials were used in a television commercial by the cola giant.

The band claimed that Coca-Cola used their song, “Ninja” and their image of a ninja kitten in a South American commercial.

After talks, Coca-Cola agreed to settle out of courts with an undisclosed amount. The band willing agreed to their offer. There were no hard feelings between the two parties.

7 Seconds of Love still has plans on releasing their “Ninja” song and they hope the money from the settlement will help launch their band.

Unsecured, Personal Loans, personal , loan, secured, loans

EU stumbles on the low-carbon road

2007-01-29T11:38:00.002-05:00

The European Commission wants to drop plans to enforce that emissions be changed on automobiles. The plan was for automakers to produce new cars that produced a quarter less carbon dioxide than normal cars.

This has caused a lot of concern for environmentalist.

Emissions and carbon dioxide from automobiles is believed to be one of the factors assisting the global warming effect.

The European Commission says that there should be better fuel such as biofuels and that will help the emissions on all of the cars. Environmentalists disagree. Environmentalist would like to see both better engines and better fuel.

Computer and IT disposal and removal for a greener furture. Enviromentally friendly and completely secure IT recycling.

Sanctuary may sell off some units

2007-01-29T11:38:00.001-05:00

The UK music group Sanctuary has reported 2006 loss of more than $112 million. Sanctuary is one of the world largest music management enterprises.

The loss is believed to have occurred as a result of move to a more urban music sector of the United States which eventually failed.

In order to make up for the loss, the music group has stated that they will attempt to sale a stake in Rough Trade Records. They will also make a large cutback on cost. It is hoped that these efforts will return them to profitability in 2008.

Computer Screen and Monitor Shop
Used computer screen shop. Buy your next computer monitor from us. We sell CRT and TFT LCD screens and monitors from 15 inch to 24 inch widescreen. Help the environment by buying a used screen and reduce your carbon footprint.

Myspace music reviews : JUKE KARTEL

2007-01-29T11:37:00.001-05:00

Five-piece band from Melbourne, Australia fancies itself a metal/alternative hybrid, but doesn’t really have the heavy chops to back up the claim. Still, Todd Burman and Dale Winters deliver some solid guitar work, more than ably backing up singer Toby Rand’s not-too-impressive pipes. With a more committed singer and a faster tempo, “Save Me” could be a Rob Zombie outtake. There’s nothing to get annoyed about here, but there’s nothing to get overly excited about either. Generic rock’s generic rock, whether it’s from Australia or the garage next door.

Finally a YouTube video player for your MySpace profile!
Now you can put your favorite YouTube videos on your MySpace profile. You can organize them in a playlist and update them without having to edit your profile again. Head to MyTubeX and make the rest of your MySpace friends jealous!

Shopping for Apple iPod Video Black Digital Media Player

2007-01-29T11:35:00.000-05:00

The Apple iPod Black Digital Media Player is an iPod that has a 2.5 inch screen that is excellent for viewing videos and movies. It offers many more features that most other iPods, but is still about the same size as the other iPods.

This iPod also has an alarm function, a world clock, and it comes with a couple of stored games. It also has the capability of changing languages. The battery life of this iPod is also superior. It will last about sixteen hours on one complete charge.

The price range for this iPod is $255-$275.

Free Stuff Frenzy brings you fresh listings and reviews of all the best freebies that are available on the Net. Unlike most of freebie sites on web, our site is organized in easy to browse free stuff categories and product categories.
Free Stuff Frenzy

Games Review : FANTAVISION

2007-01-29T11:34:00.000-05:00

Fantavision is one of PlayStation 2’s launching games. It is a puzzle game where the player has to catch flares of the same color in a particular sequence.

This game is very repetitious and somewhat boring. The same thing is done over and over again. It may appeal to some people, but there is no change in the scenery; and all the player does is rack up point after point by catching flares of the same color. There is no clearly defined goal in Fantavision.

This game may be appealing for younger children or for someone who is a new player on PlayStation 2.

World Games is an online arcade games site offering free game play with over 1300 games. We've got it all, games cheats, action games, sports games, funny games and much more…
Arcade games, Puzzle Games

Chinese in Romanian job protest

2007-01-29T11:33:00.000-05:00

More than 400 Chinese women working in the textile industry in Romania went on strike after asking for higher pay and better living conditions.

These women are among the first legal workers to be employed in the country of Romania. Romania has suffered large shortages of workers in the garment industry because most people have sought work in Western Europe and have left Romania.

This strike will hurt the textile industry and the manager is blaming the Chinese employment agencies for enticing the workers to go on strike.

These women currently make the equivalent of regular Romanian salary.

Reduce your carbon footprint and waste by letting us recycle your computer. We recycle and dispose of computer waste in london. For businesses and corporations Recycling Computer equipment in London and surrounding areas of the City. We provide secure data destruction to relevant standards and ar rgistered with the Enviroment agency.

Ford hit by record $12.7 billion loss

2007-01-29T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Ford Motor Company is reporting a $12.7 billion loss at the end of 2006. This is the largest annual loss that the company has experience in its 103 year history.

In addition to the loss, Ford has plans to close sixteen plants and cut at least 45,000 jobs.

Ford is considered to be the second largest automobile producer in the United States.

Reports suggest that Ford is in danger of being taken over by Toyota by the end of the year.

The company remains confident that they will return to profit and be on track to deliver by 2009.

The Dream Car video site offers a huge database of car related video clips. We've got it all, fast cars, car crashes, cop chases, hot cars, street racing, gumball and a lot more…

Car crashes, Street racing, Gumball 3000

The Broken West on myspace

2007-01-24T10:42:00.000-05:00

Los Angeles-based five-piece rock group lists Spinal Tap, George Harrison and ‘70s rockers Unicorn as their main influences, but these ears detect more of a Replacements/Velvet Underground vibe, minus the Mats’ drunkenness and the VU’s sometimes wiggy lyrical content. Well crafted songs with plenty of hooks and an unexpectedly prominent organ result in a sound that should be welcomed by pop-loving tweens, their older siblings, and (maybe) even their parents. A band that with the right push could make something of itself.

Myspace users will be happy to know that now you can put your favorite YouTube videos on your MySpace profile. You can organize them in a playlist and update them without having to edit your profile again. Head to MyTubeX and make the rest of your MySpace friends jealous!

.

Home game for star in Brisbane

2007-01-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

Kate Hudson, sun-kissed star of Fools Gold, a movie being shot at Airlie Beach on Australia’s Far North Queensland coast, had a welcome day off yesterday.

Sharing time with hot and hunky co-star Matthew McConaughy, Kate who of course is the daughter of Hollywood comedienne Goldie Hawn, retreated to the familiar.

Kate hunkered down in her Platinum Suite at the Conrad Treasury glued to the Foxtel box for several hours to watch her footie team - the Indianapolis Colts - beat the New England Patriots.

Fools Gold is now shooting in Brisbane before moving south to film on the Gold Coast.

How to Choose HDTV Antenna
What you need to pick up the HDTV broadcasts is a good off-air TV antenna. Consult HDTV antenna selection guide. The guide will lead you step-by-step to selecting the right HDTV antenna for you. There are many antenna brands and models available -Terk, Winegard, ChannelMaster to name a few. Read HDTV antenna reviews before choosing the right model.

It’s smart not to eat red meat

2007-01-23T10:40:00.000-05:00

Research from the University of Southampton, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that vegetarians mature smarter than their carnivorous classmates.
The study, tracing the development of 8,000 people from birth to adulthood discovered that participants choosing a vegetarian diet had 5 more IQ points than average by the time they reached thirty years of age.
But is this the chicken or the egg?
Will not eating meat cause you to become smarter? Or do smart people avoid eating meat?
Mensa Australia CEO Trish Kennett says: “Smart people consider all aspects of life. It’s only logical that they spurn meat”.

Goji - The Himalayan Health Secret
High in the Himalayan mountains can be found a red berry called the href="http://www.gojicapital.com/goji-story.html">goji berry. This
berry has some amazing health benefits, including anti-aging, increased
energy, and improved immune function. You can now get the same benefits
with our Himalayan Goji Juice.
Buy our goji juice
today - it's 100% guaranteed!

.

Another year, another show.

2007-01-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

Oh, the Golden Globes were on last week. Bummer!

Ok, so I don't care to watch. Why bother? Few of Tinseltown's big-screen produce is now original and we already know who the winners will be before they're announced - the ones attached to the movie with the biggest budget. No excitement there.

At times, we may take a peak, just in case someone trips on the staircase leading up to the stage, but celebrities are so concentrated on looking amazing that nobody trips. So where's the entertainment?

The only point of (slight) interest is the fashion parade. Which fashion designer is elected to dress the most celebrities and which gown will be elected by the critics as the best and the worst?

But then again, we little people can't afford to buy such gowns anyway. So why watch? Its masochism.
If you are really into hurting yourself, then you can also have a look through the World of Fashion blog and their Fashion Eras section.

.

Getting married the Shilpa way

2007-01-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

Firstly, and in case you are not familiar with the name, Shilpa is one of the contestants in the UK's version of Celebrity Big Brother. I'm not a viewer, but I couldn't help myself this week, whatwith all the furore in the media, and had a peak. I couldn't care less for the events in the house, or the quarrels. They're just mindless morons talking to eachother. But did you get a glimpse of Shilpa's sarees? Aren't her sarees wonderful?

I've always loved sarees. They are so glamourous, feminine and stunning. Now imagine a white or peal-coloured saree, adorned with silver or golden threads on the tips. That would make a divine wedding dress, woudnd't it?

Unfortunately, its no longer original. Brides everywhere are making a dash to the local Indian tailor for saree-style wedding dresses because they make simply the most feminine gowns. And there's so many different materials to choose from that you're sure to cause astonishment.

Talk to your make up artist, and discuss all the wonderful accessories and style of jewellery that go with a saree. The choice is endless.

Marcell, Australia's leader in wedding makeup is a great place to start at. And even if you're not in the old Oz, you'll benefit greatly from reading up their makeup tips.

.

Adventurous start to 2007

2007-01-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the year I decided to do something radical. Its a tradition of mine to start the year doing something i'd not done before. Last year, I cut my hair short - it was radical, ok?

This year, I decided to participate in a package trip that promised me a radical weekend. And so it was. Me and my 8 fellow travellers, along with our 2 guides packed into 5 pick-ups and took off from Lisbon into the far north of Spain where we managed to do parapenting, camping, white-water rafting and trekking in 48 hours.

In between, we also did brunch at a local vineyard, drove deep into the Bragança forest to peak at the famous Portuguese wild horses in their natural habitat, tasted some of the best local cuisine, and all-in-all, delighted in fabulous companionship over a glass or two of Port each night as we sat by the fire.

I returned home knackered, with 10 new friends, and fully charged to take on 2007.

If you want to take on an adventurous weekend, I recommend you check out World Travels, where you have at your disposal a whole library of video clips for different destinations, including Mexico, Italy and Canada. Check them out.

.

A reason to blog

2007-01-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

Portugal is in tatters. The street pavements aren't even apt for sheep to walk on. And yet, as we all complain to eachother in the cafes, nobody is taking any action.

Yesterday, I took another tumble. As always, i don't just fall. As i realise i'm about to land on my face again, I always strive to not fall. The results are always a spectacle, for everyone else of course. As I begin to fall, I offer a sad spectacle to all bystanders of what not to do when you trip. My arms fly up in all directions. My hair clumsily covers my eyes. My bag deposits lipstick and tampons on the pavement, and, inevitably I land on my face. 5 meters away from the place I tripped on in the first place. Skirt over my waist. Brown muck on my white shirt. One shoe lost forever.

I'm sick of being a local joke.

So I am taking action. I am blogging my discontent. (Sigh) And it feels good to be reporting this sad little episode in my life. I imagine opening my blog tomorrow and discoveringa hoarde of sympathetic comments from my readers. Of course, that's not likely. I am one in a billion bloggers on the web. I am not the best writer. And hell, I know I'm not that interesting.

But to me blogging isn't just about being read by millions. There are bloggers who have become famous for voicing a political opinion. There are others who have seen the limelight because of the eloquent way they describe the daily episodes of their regular lives. These bloggers are like the rest of us. People on the bus.

But your blog is your virtual diary for anything and everything you feel like letting others know about your life, dreams and fantasies. And one day, someone will read your blog. Like you or dislike you. It doesn't matter. Your blog is yours.

The $100 business plan

2007-01-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

So webmasters won't make a run for one, but I predict a rush for the $100 laptop. Its something new, and we all love anything new. Kids will want one, and parents will want them to have one - or at least they should. Because, while a teen in Africa finds it hard to access quality education and information, teens in the West, who have it all, are growing into ripe old vegetables.

I believe the $100 laptop will give these young sofa-decorations something new to gawk at. Probably not powerful enough compete with the Sony's Playstation, but the built-in wireless and video conferencing tools are 2 of the enticers that come with this new wind-up gadget that is indeed an inspiring invention. Stay-tuned for the solar-powered laptop.

But like everything else in our world, it has everyone thinking up business plans and strategies on how to make their profit-share from this new venture, originally aimed at giving a better opportunity in life to those who have less of it.

And do you know what the biggest challenge in the project seems to be? Its not teaching young Africans to work with a computer. And its not building it either. The problem being faced by the project leaders is cutting supply-chain costs!

Doesn't this say it all about the world we live in?

Putin's very own orchard

2007-01-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

The Russia-Belarus oil blockade has ended. And why has that worried European businesses so much? Well, Belarus is the 'middle-man' who delivers Russia's oil to our pipelines. And these regional tiffs have an outrageous effect on all European businesses.

And now its time to ponder. While so many began to rule out Putin as the type of powerful leader who could frighten us, Putin was quietly picking his apples in the European orchard. Russia has bought into some of the largest distributors in the smaller European states. And with this he holds the European economy in his hand.

Because there are 3 maybe 4 big players in Europe who may not be bought by Russia. But all the rest will sell their mothers for the right price.

For all entrepeneurs Innovation Zen features articles on innovation management, business strategy, marketing, technology and more. Have you ever wondered what are the concepts behind fancy terms like disruptive innovation, radical innovation and architectural innovation? The site contains detailed explanations about innovation theory, all applied to real business cases. Check it out! Innovation Zen.

Picture courtesey : www.rowanlea.com

A game of chance or skill

2007-01-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

Is poker a game of chance? or is it a game of skill?
Some say its a game of chance. But their argument is based on the fact that the cards are shuffled. But from thereon, is it chance? or is it skill? Bluffing has been known to work rather well for some.

I ask because in recent days, a court in the UK ruled on a case that handed down a hefty fine to a club-owner for not having a license, as required by the Gaming Act, which stipulates that all games of chance. But such a license is not required for games of skill.

I'm interested in hearing some views. I stick to skill. So, as you consider, i invite you to check out and try your luck. I mean, skill.

Internet Poker tells you where to play your poker. Read their reviews of some of the better-known poker hosts :
www.PartyPoker.com
www.WilliamHill.com
www.Fulltilt.com
US Poker Sites

.

Stockhideout's Stock Message Board: Penny Stock Investing

2007-01-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

Stockhideout's stock message board focus on penny stocks and penny stock investing. Our stock message board are full of great stock picks StockHideout also has a live stock chat room for finding hot penny stocks, Forex and more.

I Need A Forum Directory for Forums and Blog Listings

2007-01-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

I Need a Forum is a directory featuring Forums and Blogs. It is categorized in accordance with subject, topic and content relevance. All submitted links are verified, validated and edited by humans to maintain quality and integrity. It's easy to suggest your forum or blog listing. All non-forum and non-blog sites suggested will be deleted. Be certain to provide an in depth description to support your listing. This is a new directory and our main objective is quality and relevance. We are not concerned with volume so please follow our provided instructions.

Stocks and Mutual Funds

2007-01-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

Mutual Fund Advice from sources you can trust. Advice for beginning investors and those who want to make better investment decisions: Stocks 101 .

Budget Globetrotting

2007-01-07T18:07:00.000-05:00

Budget Globetrotting is an upcoming authority in the realm of budget international travel.
Find backpacking destinations, travel tips, and travel news to help you plan your backpacking
trips.

Why Hire a Makeup Artist for your Wedding

2007-01-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

Your wedding day is coming up and you are wondering if you should
hire a makeup
artist. You’ve found your dream dress and all the shoes and
accessories that go with it. You spent months planning your bridesmaids’ outfits
and all the details concerning the ceremony and reception. Do you
really want to spend the extra money to employ a professional makeup
artist?

Hiring someone to apply your wedding day makeup
will help complete your look. You spent a lot of time picking out that
dress and your accessories. Makeup artists are trained to not only find
colours that look good on you, but to find a look that compliments the
style of your dress. If your dress is romantic, for example, you may opt
for a softer look. If your dress is modern or unconventional, you’ll
probably want a makeup style that will fit the same description.

Professionals also help you save time in the morning. On your wedding
day, you may be so excited and emotional that you will be happy to let
an expert complete your look. You may also be too nervous to apply your
own colours. Also, they use products and techniques that will help your
makeup stay fresh and beautiful throughout your special day.

To learn more about wedding makeup and
the latest makeup tips visit www.marcell.com.au.

Free WordPress Blog Host

2007-01-07T18:02:00.000-05:00

Uk retailer of inkjet

2007-01-07T18:01:00.000-05:00

printer cartridges. We sell Lexmark, Epson, Canon and HP printer cartridges in the UK and Europe. All printer cartridges are shipped for free.

Magical Myspace Layouts

2007-01-07T15:52:00.000-05:00

Use one of our new premade layouts or use our Magical Layout Profile Editor to customize the layout to fit your personal preference. If I told
you it's the best Layout Editor on the planet you wouldn't belive me so
I dare you to check it out for yourself! MrWizard.

Dm Web Directory

2007-01-07T15:49:00.000-05:00

Add your website to the Internet's fastest growing web directory. A powerful high quality human edited web directory offering family friendly, and spam free sites organized using a comprehensive category structure. There are many different web directory catagories including business directory, computer directory and shoping directory

Every penny earned as a result of the Dm Web Directory will be put back into the SEO of the directory. You can rest assured that your submission will provide you with a high quality backlink.

Diet Blog

2007-01-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

Sam is an overweighted webmaster who has been dealing with his weight issue for his whole life. In order to lose some weight, he created a diet blog in order to keep track of his own diet. He is following Abs diet. Besides his own diet, he also blogs about diet news and tips.

Spill the Beans!

2006-08-31T16:33:00.000-04:00

Kivinar has created a pretty neat blog at spillbean.com. It's not really dedicated to any one topic, which keeps things interesting. It features funny jokes and comics, as well as hilarious photos and videos. If you need a break from the boring stuff, stop by Spill Bean and you're sure to have a fun time!

Let's Have a..... BlogParty!

2006-08-31T16:21:00.000-04:00

BlogParty is another creation from the mind of Mike Dammann, which brings together all different kinds of blogging resources in one convenient place. From blogging forums to blog news to blog advertising, you can find all the information you are looking for here.

Currently, BlogParty is on a hunt for the world's best blog. Help them out and nominate your choice for world's best blog.

Frog Engine Internet Marketing Blog

2006-08-31T16:14:00.000-04:00

Mike Dammann blogs on so many different sites, I can't even begin to keep track of him. One of his most notable ventures, however, is the Frog Engine Internet Marketing Blog, in which he shares his decade's worth of internet marketing knowledge and expertise. He also keeps his readers informed of the latest contests, directory news, and general internet marketing topics. If you're looking to keep tabs on the industry and learn some worthwhile tips, check out Mike's blog. It's worth the time.

Irish Culture Blog

2006-08-31T10:57:00.000-04:00

Located at http://www.yourirish.com/blog , the Irish Culture Blog is a great blog to read if you are interested in Irish news, culture, trivia and more. Get in touch with your Irish roots on more than just St. Patty's Day!

I've learned some pretty neat things by reading it, and I am sure that you will as well. So go on, check it out!

The C Channel

2006-07-30T12:50:00.000-04:00

The C Channel is building a multi-interest website that brings together 3 distinct sites - Travel, Shopping and Weddings. Each one features articles, destination profiles, vendor profiles and a whole load of new tools to attract a global audience. This includes the still young Travel Forum, and the Wedding Agenda, a promising tool that will be completely free and is due out in late 2006.

The C Channel network has also recently introduced The C Directories, 5 user-friendly directories of websites, blogs, online retailers and other sites categorized under thousands of differnet subjects. Only a month old, it attracts new registrations every day of eBusinesses eager to become part of The C Channel Network. For example, in our Tools for webmasters directory, we have a regular stream of new articles in different categories for you. We also provide links to some of the best SEO sites online such as SEO and Internet Marketing, The Webmaster SEO Blog and SEO Ireland. Plus, there's links to some of the best tools for webmasters, like Cheap domain register, Cheap domain hosting, and Webhost advisor.

Blogging for Everyone

2006-07-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

Blogging gets bigger and bigger by the day, if you can think of it, someone's blogging it. Technology related blogs are probably pretty high up there in the blog topic list, as well as finance-related blogs, travel blogs, and even food blogs. Some of the best blogs on the web come out of an interest of the writer, something that they are passionate about. The worst of blogs generally exist as a lame attempt to make some money off adsense, which many kindly refer to as MFA (Made For Adsense) blogs.

Apparently a lot of people like to blog about cats, their cats and cats in general. Those are called "cat blogs", and they're a pretty popular niche market. The crazy old cat ladies of the world are apparently now blogging about their furry feline friends.

Car blogs are also pretty popular. Got a love for Mustangs? Why not blog about it? Surely there are other fans out there that would have an interest in your writing.

Just as food blogs are big, so are diet blogs. Some blog about their dieting experiences, and give tips to others also trying to lose weight. Others may give you information about all of the latest fad diets.

So if you are looking to start a new blog but don't know what to write about, make a list of your interests. Then, figure out which of those you are the most passionate about and write about it. The more you enjoy what you are doing, the more likely that your enthusiasm and expertise is to come off well to your readers.

Travel Blog

2006-07-19T22:56:00.000-04:00

Travel blogs are really popular right now, although finding a good travel blog is a bit harder than you'd think. One travel blog that I would recommend is Travel Rants.

Travel Rants is a great blog written by Darren from the UK. He's done some significant traveling, and has some excellent information to share with you. He's visited Australia, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Canary Islands, Holland, Ireland, Spain, and other wonderful places around the world. It is also a great blog to visit for travel related news.

So don't delay, check it out today!

Related Links:

Tuscany Villas for rent

Villa Toscane

Travel Street

Athlete Trying to Get to the Olympics

2006-07-18T23:13:00.000-04:00

Brandon Rowe, 23 year old amateur runner living in Philadelphia, is trying to make it to the Olympics. To fund his endeavours, he has started an online experiment to see how much he can sell 100 links on his website for. As of a couple days ago, he has sold 148 links at $223.35. The homepage features 100 links sold auction style. As new links are added, the lowest bid links fall off the homepage.

To learn more, visit his website at http://www.linkexperiment.com

Warning: Don't Translate Books and Post them on Blogger

2006-07-18T23:11:00.000-04:00

One guy took it upon himself to translate an entire book, “L’Identité” by Milan Kundera, into Czech. He then posted the translation to his Blogger blog. Google received notification of copyright infringement and then took down the site. However, the translation is still available online at a Russian website.

Source: Google Blogoscoped

PayPerPost.com is great

2006-07-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

I've been using PayPerPost.com for the past week or so, and I have found it to be an effective way to earn some additional money. There are a range of fees that advertisers are willing to pay, anywhere from $2.50 up to $25.00. Well, $25 is the highest I've seen offered yet, but maybe in the future someone will offer more than that. It's really easy to do, and I recommend it to anyone who's looking o make a few extra bucks doing something that they already do - blog!

There are new opportunities everyday for you to blog about. I've been blogging so much lately I've been having dreams. :P Now I just can't wait for my first PayPal deposit from PayPerPost. :)

Blogger Turns Paper Clip into a House

2006-07-18T22:53:00.000-04:00

Surely you've heard the story already, but if you haven't, check it out:

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=101009U6U6SE

Cool Computer/Electronics Tutorial Site

2006-07-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

Check out http://electronics.newbie.org for a wide variety of tutorials for electronics and computer related things. For example, there is a tutorial for the Apple Video iPod. In the tutorial they give you a review, as well as various prices and links to those sites.

Check it out!

Blogs as Omnipresent as Reality TV?

2006-07-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

According to ComScore Media Metrix, blogs are not only mainstream, but they are becoming as omnipresent as reality tv. ComScore reports that blog traffic continues to increase, up 56% in the past year to 58.7 million visitors, which represents 34% of the total internet audience.

Young people are amongst the most likely to visit blogs, with those in the 12 to 17 range 21% more likely to view them. However, the trend does seem to be catching on with older populations.

Blog visits also have a tendancy to come from higher income households. Those with an annual income of at least $75,000 are 8% more likely to read blogs.

Related Links:

Silly Stuff Blog

Famous Quotations

Buy Niche Articles

High-cost PPC Keywords - Mesothelioma

2006-07-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

One of the most expensive keywords in Yahoo/Overture is Mesothelioma. Why? What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases on earth. From the time a person is diagnosed, they usually don't live past 24 months. It affects 3,000 in the US each year. It is caused by Asbestos, or more specifically by inhaling particles of asbestos degrades, which eats away at the lining of your lungs and causes one of the most deadly forms of cancer.

Many lawsuits are underway regarding asbestos in the workplace. Mesothelioma is completely preventable.

The Mesothelioma keyword is highly coveted by lawyers who are willing to pay out big money for PPC advertising because they know that they can in turn win alot more by taking on a Mesothelioma case.

Check Out This Video

2006-07-17T23:52:00.000-04:00

Don't laugh too hard now..... :)

Need to get your laptop repaired?

2006-07-17T23:46:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for someone to do your laptop repairs, why not try Raleigh Laptop Repair? They research, develop, and provide unique laptop repair solutions. These certified professionals have serviced thousands of laptops for end-users, businesses, and resellers. If you need laptop power jack repair, they are definitely the experts to handle the job.

Google Related Blog

2006-07-17T23:38:00.000-04:00

If any of you are ever interested in finding out the latest Google news, check out my Google Librarian blog. I try to post all the breaking Google news there. :)

Internet Marketing Podcasts

2006-07-17T23:33:00.000-04:00

Are you a hip internet marketer? Do you listen to podcasts? Then check out InternetMarketingVoodoo.com, and check out a few of their awesome podcasts. The topics they have covered thus far are thought-provoking and insightful. In the future I hope that they will do more podcasts on monetizing your site or blog, and more information about effective ways to drive traffic to your site.

Great job guys! Keep it up!

Search Engine Optimization and Blogs

2006-07-17T21:40:00.000-04:00

Seach engine optimization, aka SEO, remains to be a very hot webmaster topic. What is search engine optimization? Well, SEO is a marketing technique of preparing a website to enhance its chances of being ranked in the top results of a search engine once a relevant search is undertaken. A number of factors are important when optimising a website, including the content and structure of the website's copy and page layout, the HTML meta-tags and the submission process.

If you want your website to have a fighting chance in the search engine results pages, you must learn even the most basic SEO techniques. Links and anchor text are also other very important factors in SEO.

So where can you to learn SEO techniques, and the latest SEO news? Why not check out some SEO-related blogs. Link-related sites are also very beneficial. So do a search on Google or your favorite search engine for the term "seo blog", and you're sure to come up with some great results. But if you're lazy, check out the list below of some great sites to check out:

SEO Blog

Search Engine Journal

SEO Journal

Buy Text Links

Link Checker

Great Quotes Website

2006-07-16T23:12:00.000-04:00

Looking for online quotes? Check out Quotable Quotes at Online Discount Mart. They have a large selection of quotable quotes ranging from the inspirational, intellectual, and comical, to the thoughtful and those that are just plain weird!

They have quotes organized by topics, such as baby quotes, love quotes, holiday quotes, Bible quotes, motivational quotes, inspirational quotes and more!

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” Lao-Tsu

“Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” Colette

It's a Scorcher!

2006-07-16T23:09:00.000-04:00

Man is it hot out there today! I bought a new a/c today, so thankfully its starting to cool down a bit in here, but its still a sauna outside.

Here's to hoping for cooler weather!

Computer Monitoring Software

2006-07-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

Whether you are using a computer at home, work, school, or at the library, there's a good chance that you're activities, especially online ones, are being monitored. Before you panic, rest assured that most of the time, monitoring is not enacted to watch every single thing you do. Rather, it is to protect children, or protect the interests of a company.

Monitoring employees is one of the most common uses of internet monitoring software. Companies often times have guidelines and policies regarding the use of internet at work. Many may log what everyone does, but a human does not look at it until "something happens" that would give them reason to look at the logs. Other times, companies may closely monitor, and those who are caught violating company policy are reprimanded. While answering work-related emails and using the internet as needed for your job is appropriate, using it to chat or bid on eBay most times is unacceptable. It interferes with productivity.

Parents may also be interested in using monitoring software to protect the safety of their children. By knowing what sites they visit, or who they are chatting with, parents can make sure that their children aren't involved in questionable online activity and protect them from online predators.

One company that produces quality computer monitoring software is SpectorSoft. I recommend them highly.

YouTube Number One Video Site on the Net

2006-07-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

YouTube is now officially the number one video site on the net, with users watching over 100 million videos per day. YouTube also accounts for 60% of all videos watched online, and 29% of the US multimedia entertainment market.

The site specializes in short 2 to 3 minute home made videos. Most of them are comic in nature, and are played as comic relief at work and at home.

In June alone 2.5 billion videos were watched on YouTube, with an average of 65,000 new videos uploaded daily. Additionally, YouTube receives 20 million unique visitors per month.

Comparably, News Corps' MySpace captures just 19% of the multimedia market, and Yahoo, Google, and MSN each have 3% to 5% of the video search market.

Interestingly, for all the videos served up by YouTube, the company is run by a mere 30 employees.

Related Links:

Buy Text Links

Link Checker

Webmaster SEO Blog

Get a Glimpse into the Future

2006-07-15T10:38:00.000-04:00

Want to get an idea of what your favorite tech companies are up to, or what they may be up to in the future? Then check out their patents. Looking at a company's latest approved patents can give you a glimpse into their secretative worlds, and give you more fun things to speculate about.

Instead of scouring the web, you can come to one place - Latest Patents. Latest Patents is updated daily with all of the latest approved patents for the world's leading technology companies, including those such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Canon, Apple, and more.

The site lists what patent the company filed, gives a brief summary of the patent, and links you to the actual patent filing with the government. Check it out, its really interesting!

Related Links:

Submit Dot Com Directory

Free Web Index Directory

Alive Web Directory

Canadian Domains are Hot

2006-07-14T09:59:00.000-04:00

Canada's top level domain (TLD), the .ca extension, has seen an unprecedented number of sales in 2006. In fact, Canadian domains are so hot, that they've recently outpaced the .us TLD. For those who have invested in quality .ca domains, the time may be here when those investments finally pay off.

The number of .ca domains sold over the past three years has doubled each year, however, .us domain sales have also been on the increase, although at a slower pace than the .ca domains.

What is the cause for the increase in .ca and .us domain sales? The increasingly unavailability of premium .com and .net domains has caused webmasters to take the alternate TLDs more seriously. Businesses are also beginning to target the Canadian demographic, and feel the best way to do this is with .ca versions of their websites.

The demand for .ca and .us domains shows no signs of slowing down, and for those who like to invest in domains, this is an excellent opportunity to start grabbing up premium domains.

Related Links:
Cheap Domain Registrar
Cheap Domain Hosting
Webhost Advisor

Great Site to Find New Music

2006-07-11T11:46:00.000-04:00

Pandora.com is a great site to discover new music, and enjoy music that you already know and love. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this site here yet or not, but its really cool. What you do is you give them an artist or song that you like, and then based on scientific research, they will give you music back that includes the artist or song you like, as well as other similiar artists.

How do they find out what kind of music you might like? Well, they use the results from the Music Genome project, which has polled thousands and thousands of people around the world about their musical tastes. Through research, they have been able to determine what kinds of music one MIGHT like if they like one kind of music, or a certain artist.

There are some really great results that come up and I am very pleased with the service thus far. Some of the artists I've discovered on there I might not have ever heard of before. Oh, and there's one more cool thing about Pandora, as you are listening to the music, you'll give a picture of the album cover. If you click the cover you'll be taken to Amazon where you can actually buy the cd.

If you haven't checked it out already, make sure you do! You'll love it.

The Blogger Challenge

2006-07-11T11:21:00.000-04:00

It's still going on, and by my estimations it should be finishing up sometime next month. I'm not sure of the exact date, however. Look out for a flurry of new posts on this blog as I strive to catch up.

Best of Blogs #12: Mystical Twilight

2006-04-27T15:26:00.000-04:00

Blog: Mystical Twilight
URL: http://www.mystical-twilight.com
Author: Colleen

Mystical Twilight is the personal blog of Colleen, self-appointed Queen of da Wackos. (Your guess is as good as mine as far as what that means.)

Colleen is a respected member of several online webmaster forums, and runs her own design firm, Kalina Web Designs. She makes awesome Wordpress and vBulletin templates, so if you need something made up, make sure to check in with her.

In addition to her postings on just about anything that pops into her pretty little head, her blog features several free templates for download and links to other sites that she runs.

Colleen, one question - what do you do with the ketchup? ;)

Best of Blogs #10: NeO Blog

2006-04-27T14:39:00.000-04:00

Blog: NeO Blog
URL: http://www.n7v.net
Author: NeO (from v7n)

Review:

At first glance you might thing this blog was a Matrix fan site. It looks like the Matrix, it's author calls himself "NeO", and the search box asks you to "Find the One". Look a little closer, and you will see that this is not a Matrix fan site, and it is not written by "The One" or Keanu Reaves (at least I don't think it is).

What this blog does cover is SEO techniques and issues, DVD reviews, tutorial videos, contests, and beta tests. Scattered about are other seemily random threads about NeO (what is his real name?) and news of interest.

If you're interested in technology and other webmaster related stuff, check out the NeO Blog. It's worth the time.

Best of Blogs #9: How I Met Your Mother, the Blog

2006-04-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

Blog: How I Met Your Mother, the Blog.
URL: http://www.howimetyourmother.us/
Author: Dustin

Review:

Fans of the popular television show, How I Met Your Mother, will be delighted with this great resource. It features fan reviews, speculation, gossip, opinions, and more! It is updated at least daily, with some days getting multiple posts. If you can't get enough of How I Met Your Mother, you won't want to miss this site.

Of further interest to HIMYM fans, this website also has a popular forum worth checking out.

Best of Blogs #8: Travel Plan Ideas

2006-04-26T12:03:00.000-04:00

Blog: Travel Plan Ideas
URL: http://www.travel-plan-idea.com/
Author: James Trotta

Review:

If you've got a lot of vacation time, but don't know what to do with it, check out Travel Plan Ideas. Included are lots of detailed travel itineraries from trips that people actually took.

This site is a valuable resource for anyone looking to go on a trip, and covers everything from what restaurants to eat at, places to visit, annual events, to cost of bus fare, and international medical insurance. The site also includes information about vacation rental properties.

This is a must visit blog for anyone that likes to travel.

Best of Blogs #7: Get Edumacated!

2006-04-26T11:29:00.000-04:00

Blog: Get Edumacated!
URL: http://www.edumucation.com/blog/
Author: Chris (aka Zap on v7n)

Review:

edumacation: the process by which one becomes edumacated, the achievement of which is generally marked by a gradumacation ceremony. Edumacated people know a lot of things.

The process in which one becomes edumacated generally involves learning important life skills, such as being able to ignore long speeches, essays, lectures and other such nonsense which spouts out of ones mouth. [read more...]

Are you edumacated? What's that you say? NO?! Oh my, well get yourself on over to Chris' blog and Get Edumacated!

The edumacation that you can expect to receive here is far from that typical of traditional schooling. The blog does not have a theme, but rather, it contains the random musings of yet another cool Canadian dude. Peek into Chris' world, and read about his thoughts on the Canadian elections, what really pisses him off, and other juicy tidbits of his existence.

The postings are spontaneous and the writing is excellent, so make sure to subscribe to the feed so you never miss a single rant, rave, review, or announcement.

Congrats on the future addition to the family!

Best of Blogs #6: Get Domains

2006-04-25T21:34:00.000-04:00

Blog: Get Domains
URL: http://getdomains.info/
Author: Chris

Review:

If you're thinking about getting into the domain name buying and selling business, you should read this blog. At Get Domains, Chris frequently lists available domains that might be of interest to you, and talks about the domain buying business.

For newbies hoping to make millions selling domains, Chris provides a nice reality check and some tips to take to heart.

I look foward to seeing more informative posts and this somewhat-new blog continues to develop.

Best of Blogs #5: The Trap

2006-04-25T20:37:00.000-04:00

Blog: The Trap
URL: http://trappercase.wordpress.com
Author: Kevin Case (aka Trapper)

Review:

Everytime I run into Kev on the forums, I can't get over the fact that he looks like a clone of one my friends (who also happens to be named Kevin). It's just too freaky! Not that it's a bad thing. It's just weird.

But enough about the Kevins, on to the blog!

The Trap blog is also in the running for the $10,000 Blog Challenge, and so far is off to a nice lead. (But don't worry, I'll be caught up soon!) Kevin makes a valiant effort to cover little known, non-Technosnoti top 100 blogs and has thus far introduced his readers to a broad range of interesting blogs. Most recently, he challenged himself to cover "12 Blogs in 12 hours", and it looks like he's well on his way to meeting this goal. Other than blogging about blogs, The Trap covers motorcycles, sports, and the various personal experiences of Mr. Kevin Case.

If you're looking to discover new blogs, or just peruse the random musings of one cool Canadian, stop by The Trap.

Best of Blogs #3: Sab's Blog

2006-04-25T15:52:00.000-04:00

Blog: Sab's Blog
URL: http://www.sabsblog.com
Author: Sabeur

Review:

Sab's Blog is the personal blog of Sabeur from v7n, featuring a variety of tech-related posts and information. Sab's Blog has been featured here once before when he did the cool ipod photoshop tutorial. Another tutorial available on his site is an Xbox logo tutorial, where you can learn how to do the Xbox "X".

I enjoy the mix of tutorials, news, and opinion pieces available on this site. If you haven't checked it out already, go there now.

Best of Blogs #2: Seen On Slash

2006-04-25T15:42:00.000-04:00

Blog: Seen On Slash
URL: http://www.seenonslash.com
Author: Veridicus

Review:

Seen on Slash is owned and operated by Veridicus, and features some of the best comments ever seen on Slashdot (a popular website for computer nerds). Visitors can register for the site, and submit their favorite Slashdot comments. New ones are added almost daily.

For those who can't get enough of Slashdot, check out Seen on Slash for the web equivalent of the highlight reels.

Best of Blogs #1: LouisWorld

2006-04-25T15:22:00.000-04:00

Blog: LouisWorld
URL: http://www.louisworld.ca
Author: Louis Savard

Review:

Enter LouisWorld, the online home of none other than Louis Savard, the acclaimed French-Canadian guy from the v7n webmaster forums and motorcycle-journal.com forums.

LouisWorld is written in both French and English, so there is something there for both audiences. I can't read the French that well, but I am sure that those posts are just as entertaining and informative as the English ones.

Louis has a variety of interests, including wine, home renovations, the internet, motorcycles, and more - all of which are reflected on his blog. However, as Louis notes, the blog also contains "whatever I feel like writing/ranting about."

My favorite part of the blog are the wine reviews. They're in French, so I have to go to Google Translate to read it all, but they are very helpful. I'm no wine connoseiur, but when I do decide to buy some, whatever tips and advice I can get are much appreciated.

Cheers to Louis for such a fun and informative blog!

Back from the dead.

2006-04-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

After a month-long hiatus, I have returned to the blogosphere! Where did I go? What was I doing? Well, that's neither here nor there, but let's just say I got burned out.

In my absence, I have received numerous submissions for Blog of the Week. I've yet to choose even one Blog of the Week. Shame on me! So to make up for lost time I am going to do a Best of Blogs featuring not one, and no not two, but ALL of the blogs that were submitted to me.

If you'd like to be included, hurry and get your submissions in. Blogs will be covered in the order that they are received, unless of course one really knocks my socks off.

After the Best of Blogs series, we'll go back to the Blog of the Week, which will now be choosen by a readers' poll. And like always, if your blog doesn't win one week, its still in the running for the next.

Under Construction

2006-03-28T12:14:00.000-05:00

As you may notice, I am working on this blog. Specifically, I am working on a better way of organizing my "blogroll" and links. I am attempting to implement the tabbed links box that you see over to the right. I found the scripts and how to make it on jayallen.org. Links currently on there do not reflect sites that I recommend. This will be updated at some point today. I want everything working before I add in all my links. So check back later to see the finished product!

I have neglected the site for the past week or so. It was my birthday last week and I went on a little trip for a few days, and then it took me a few more days to recover the exhaustion of the trip and other weekend activities. But fear not, I will be back to posting as soon as I finish up the project I mentioned above. I'll be picking our first "Blog of the Week" soon, so stay tuned! We've had a number of fabulous submissions, and it will be difficult to choose!

Blog of the Week!

2006-03-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

We're adding a new feature to the site! Instead of me just being on the hunt for cool blogs, you can also submit your blog (or someone else's) to be considered for "Blog of the Week". Each week I will choose one blog to be "Blog of the Week". It will get a feature story, and the winner will receive a permanent link on the site as well. You'll also get a screenshot over to to the right in the sidebar for one week.

So, if you know of any good blogs, submit them today! If you're not choosen one week, you could still be choosen the next, so you only need to submit your site once. :)

If this gets popular enough, I might change it to "Blog of the Day". But we'll see. In the meantime, I will still be featuring cool sites that I come across as I find them.

Great photoshop tutorial!

2006-03-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

V7N member, Sabeur has created an excellent tutorial on how to create your own ipod with Photoshop. You can view that on his blog, Sabsblog.

Check out his final result:

Advertise your blog - for FREE!

2006-03-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

Rojo recently unveiled a new service - FeedShare -which allows bloggers to advertise their blog on other blogs for FREE. FeedShare seems to have taken several cues from Googles AdWords/AdSense programs.

Bloggers can sign up and create an ad for their blog to be published on other blogs. You pick the keywords that you want your blog ad to be targeted for. Publish your ad, and get ready to start publishing FeedShare ads on your own blog.

To publish FeedShare ads on your own blog, you simply choose which style of ads you would like to display : the 120x240 vertical banner or the 468x60 full banner. Then, select the keywords you would like to target, and copy and paste the resulting code into your blog template.

The resulting ads look quite simliar to AdSense ads. You can view an example here above the newest blog post each day. I've placed it there for maximum exposure. For every impression on your blog, you'll get you'll get a listing on someone else's blog or even on Rojo.com itself. The more traffic you generate on your blog, the more your ad will be seen.

This sounds like a great service to help generate some interest in lesser known blogs. You get relevant targeted blog ads displayed on your blog, and in return get your blog publicized. It's a very community-oriented approach, and I like it.

Read more about FeedShare and sign-up today!

Tracking your every comment...

2006-03-07T14:10:00.000-05:00

Today I stumbled across another interesting creation in the blog world - CoComment. CoComment allows you to keep track of your comments across various blogs, and gives you the option of sharing your comments on other blogs with the readers of your own blog. You can also set it up to send you notifications of replies to blog comments that you have made. Interesting.

So apparently, if you sign up for this, your readers can skip Googling you, and find out with the click of a button what blogs you read and comment on - all on your very own blog.

It sounds interesting, but I think I'll pass on this one. Should we really make it that much easier for internet stalkers? ;)

Great site for web/blog dev.

2006-03-04T18:59:00.000-05:00

Check out this web developer resource site, "Links To...". There are tons of links to website and blog add-ons. It'll keep you busy and entertained for hours! I'm adding this site to my link list.:)

Feed Icons for Your Blog

2006-03-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

FeedIcons.com offers a zip package of those little square feed icons in a variety of sizes in orange and greyscale colors. Change the colors in Photoshop if you aren't a fan of the orange, and make it green like I did. Or choose whatever color you like.

Cool Stuff for Your Blog

2006-03-03T15:21:00.000-05:00

Looking for add-ons and plug-ins for your blog? Want to spruce it up a bit with custom templates and images? Well, read on!

Blogflux offers a number of really cool tools for your blog, including MapStats, which tracks all your visitors and then plots them nicely on a Google Map. Click the "BF MapStats" button to the right to check out my Map Stats. I just installed it today, so some of the numbers aren't there yet, but it'll give you a good idea. The information the map gives you is pretty cool as well, and you can select from a number of different views.

Blogflux also offers, a cool button maker to make buttons like the "BF MapStats" one. You choose the colors, text, and it does all the work for you. Just right click the final product and save! Other Blogflux services include: Blog Directory, LinkLog, PageRank Checker, Pinger, Polls, Scramble, a subscription service, themes, and Suggest which suggests some good blogs for you to read.

I just came across this site today, which has TONS of links to various blog related services, tools, etc. - Weblogs Compendium. And for the librarians out there, the main page of the site has some great links to library related blog stuff like Libdex's directory to library weblogs and the open directory library weblog directory. Speaking of directories, I have to add my Google Librarian Blog to those!

If you're a newbie blogger or blog reader, check out the Blog Glossary to get a handle on all the jargon and terms thrown about in the blogosphere.

Blogthings has a lot of interesting quizzes you can put in your blog. Here's one to test your knowledge of blogging. How much do you know? Here's what I got:

You Know a Lot About Blogging

You got 5/8 correct!

Your not a total blogging geek yet... give it time.

Now... on to themes. Default themes are okay, but customized ones are better. You can change up default themes by modifying the CSS code, or you can apply entirely new ones that you design from scratch or find on the net.

Colleen, a regular at v7n, is the blog theme queen. Her site, Mystical Twilight, has some awesome free themes to download for Wordpress. Additionally, she can create custom themes to suit your needs or match your existing website for a pretty good price.

In addition to Colleen's site, there are several other good resources for blog themes:

BloggingPro has a good selection of Wordpress themes.
Here are more great Wordpress themes from Alex King.
A Blogger blog about Blogger templates.
Blogskins has a HUGE selection of themes for many different blog platforms.

And finally, learn a little something about graphic design at JuggoPop's Worthless Blog (that's not my name for it, it's his!). Check out the "Bling Bling" Text Tutorial, and learn how to pimp out your site. ;)

So, that's all for today. That should be enough to keep you busy with your blog for awhile. I know it'll keep me busy, that's for sure.

Blog Communities: 9Rules

2006-03-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

John Scott's $10,000 Blog Challenge posting got me thinking about the blogging community, so I started out on a search for established blogging communities online. Then I got sidetracked and started looking up web design related blogs, and came across SmileyCat. I really liked the design of this blog - the colors are nice, has a nice layout, it's easy to read, and so on. Then I saw a logo on there that said "Proud Member - 9Rules Network", and thought hmm...I wonder what 9Rules is. So I clicked....

As I soon found out, 9Rules is an elite community of bloggers. The 9Rules About page explains it a little better:

"The 9rules Network is a community of the best weblogs in the world on a variety of topics. We started 9rules to give passionate writers more exposure and to help readers find great blogs on their favorite subjects. It’s difficult to find sites worth returning to, so 9rules brings together the very best of the independent web all under one roof."

Serious writers can help eachother get more exposure, and it helps readers by directing them to some "great blogs". Members give eachother tips and advice, share ideas, and send eachother traffic. The little guys get a fighting chance. Getting into the "club" is a bit tricky, however. Not everyone gets in.

To become a 9Rules member, you must submit your blog during their submission rounds. According to the site, they've had three 24-hour submission rounds already, each garnering hundreds of entrants. So how do they decide who gets in? Basically you have to have an all-around good blog featuring a good design, great content, a passion for your topic, quality writing, and preferably a blog hosted on your own domain (although they said they still consider Blogger sites if they%

The $10,000 Blog Challenge

2006-03-02T11:17:00.000-05:00

John Scott of v7n announced yesterday that he will be giving away $10,000 to people who read his blog. You're probably thinking - "Wow, how pathetic is this guy that he has to pay people to read his blog?" and you're also probably wondering why he would shell out money just to get readers. Really guys, it's not as bad as it sounds. Sure, he'll benefit from increased traffic and coverage, but there's a larger issue at hand.

John Scott believes, as do many others, that the blogosphere resembles an 8th grade clique. There's the cool, popular crowd up top who all hang out together and fuel eachother's successes. They are the so-called trend-setters, what they do is cool and great, and if you don't want to be made a fool of, you'd better be nice to them. Then there's the average crowd -this group encompasses most bloggers. They have their loyal friends and readers, but they lack the connections to make it big. Sometimes the average blogger gets lucky and gets pulled into the cool crowd, but that doesn't happen all that often.

This kind of reminds me of the whole "the rich get richer, the poor get poorer" thing. The "A-list" bloggers all link to eachother, and very, very rarely link to "little" guys. Meanwhile, everyone else is left to scramble and kiss up to the A-listers hoping to be fed some scraps in the way of a link or a mention. Some might liken the lesser-known bloggers to dogs performing tricks just to get noticed. Bad talk an A-lister, and you're blacklisted. It's kind of pathetic.

John Scott wants this practice to end. And so with the start of his new "contest" - the $10,000 Blog Challenge - he hopes to bring this issue to light and change the way things operate in the blogosphere. To participate in the challenge, bloggers must make their intentions to link to lesser-known and unknown blogs known on their blog, and actually follow through with it. He stresses that it would be preferred to not just link to them, but mention them in the actual content. Oh, and make sure you don't link to the Technorati top 100 blogs.

The grand prize winner will take home $3,000 cash, and remaining $7,000 will be distributed to the top 70 runners-up who will each receive $100 worth of schwag, cash, or gift certificates.

So I'd like to take John up on his challenge and participate. From now and for the foreseeable future, this blog will feature some really great unknown or little known blogs. I won't be featuring any old blog for the heck of it. Sorry guys. These blogs must be GOOD. I know that there are probably still some librarian readers out there who may still be reading this, and yes, I will be featuring some librarian blogs as well. There are some really great ones out there. But I will also be featuring blogs outside of the library world from a wide range of topics.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Please keep all hands, feet, and other objects inside the ride at all times. Thank you, and enjoy your day at Geauga Lake. ;)

Our first featured blog is coming soon....

This Blog Has Moved

2006-02-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

The Google Librarian Blog has moved over to the Googlelibrarian.com site. You can now find us at http://www.googlelibrarian.com/wordpress. Please update your bookmarks.

Although this blog will not be used for the purposes of the Google Librarian website, it will now be used as a personal blog for me, Julie.

1st Issue of the Google Librarian Newsletter- Chinese Edition!

2006-01-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

We're excited to announce that the first issue of the Chinese edition of the Google Librarian Newsletter has been released. So that our English-speaking members are not bothered by extra email, the Chinese edition will have its own mailing list. Click here to sign up for the Chinese edition.

I apologize for any inconvenience there may have been when the Chinese edition was sent out on the English mailing list. They are now separate.

We're working on trying to get the newsletter and site out in other languages as well.... stay tuned for further information.

The January newsletter is out.

2006-01-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

The January 2006 Google Librarian Newsletter was published this past weekend. If you have subscribed to the list and have your notification preferences set to receive email, you should have received the newsletter in your inbox. If you have not yet subscribed, sign-up today. There's now a handy sign-up form right here on the blog in addition to the one on the website.

The Chinese version of the newsletter is expected to be out this week. In the future we will try to coordinate our efforts so that they will be released at the same time. Our translator got the newsletter the same time everyone else did, and in the future he will be getting it in advance of publication so that it may be translated.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy! If you have any suggestions for the February newsletter, let me know. :)

Coming Soon: Google Librarian in Chinese!

2006-01-08T19:10:00.000-05:00

As you may know, Google Librarian has a feature that allows you to view the site in the language of your choice utilizing Google Translate. Google Translate is a very nice feature, however, it is not always entirely correct. Words in the English language are not always translated perfectly over to another language because the computer often can't understand the context in which the English version of the word is being used. As I understand, the Googlers are constantly working on the translations service to make it better, but there's still nothing quite as good as a real live human translation.

We are constantly striving to make your experience here at Google Librarian a pleasurable , informative, and useful one, and we've now enlisted the help of Rong Wu from the University of Toronto to handle our English to Chinese translations. The January newsletter will first be available in English and Chinese, and then he will move on to translating the entire website. Once the site is translated, the Chinese flag on the site will link to Rong's translation of the site instead of the Google translated version. I know that this will be a very useful feature for our members, and greatly appreciate Rong's willingness to help make this site even better.

If your first language is one other than English and you'd be interested in helping to translate Google Librarian, please contact us. We'd love to make you a part of the team! We are interested in translations of all the currently available languages on the site, as well as any others that you have to offer.

Here's to a happy and prosperous 2006 for all!

The newsletter is finally here!

2005-12-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Our first newsletter was released on December 20th. I hope that you have found it to be informative and useful.

January's newsletter will be released on January 20th. Subsequent newsletters will be published on or around the 20th of each month.

I'd like to include member input in the next newsletter, if possible. So if you have anything you want to say, let me know.

New Google Developments

2005-12-15T11:06:00.000-05:00

The Googlers have been busy this week! So far they've announced several new services and tools: Google Music Search, the Google Homepage API, Blogger Web Comments, and Google Safe Browsing for Firefox.

I've toyed around with the Google Music search, and it works much in the same way as Google's Movie search. Right now they say that it works for most artists popular in the U.S. and some from abroad, and that they are working on adding more international artists to the search. Try it out with a Beatles search.

I haven't yet tried the Google Homepage API, Blogger Web Comments, or the Safe Browsing, but I hope to soon. I'll be creating new tutorials for these services by this weekend. Perhaps I will even create a customized module for the homepage that is helpful to Librarians!

Google Rocks (and so does Cleveland) !

2005-12-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

As I sit here half frozen, I thought I'd share with you just a few reasons why I am a huge advocate of Google. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Simplicity. Google clearly understands that less is sometimes more. I don't want to be distracted with flashing pictures, intrusive noise, and those oh-so-annoying pop-over ads. Give me white space and text ads any day of the week.

2. Relevant results. When I type in a search query, I find what I'm looking for fast. What I don't find is a porn site cloaking itself as something legit in search results. yay! They make my job easier.

3. Accountability. Google's company motto is "Don't be evil", and they take it very seriously. It's nice to see a company striving for something more than just the almightly dollar.

4. Humor. The Google people know how to have fun and give us (and themselves) a good laugh. For example, just take a look at Google Gulp, Google Mentalplex, PigeonRank, Google Lunar Jobs, Google Moon (zoom in all the way & check out the FAQs). And check out these special "languages": Klingon, Pig Latin, Leet, Bork Bork Bork, and Elmer Fudd. If you know of more Google Pranks, let me know.

5. Gmail. Google brought us the best e-mail service EVER. Following the philosophy of their website, Gmail is clean and easy on the eyes. You never, ever get those evil pop-overs sneaking up on you when you're trying to read your email (*cough* like yahoo *cough*). Plus, with all the storage space they give you, you never have to delete an email. You can rest assured that with Google search power you can find whatever email you need in a flash.

6. Google SMS. I lost my directions on the way to a meeting at another library just a few weeks ago. But I didn't have to worry. With my cell phone handy I just sent Google a text message asking for directions, and a few seconds later I was on my way in the right direction. Try it out
on the Google SMS page.

7. Google's founders are liberal, as are many of their employees. They believe in things like open source software and fair treatment of their employees. They have awesome benefits packages, free lunch and snacks, play time, and more. And overall, they believe in making the world a better place.

8. Constant innovation. They are always thinking of new ways to do things, and come up with some pretty cool stuff. Check out Google Labs to play with all the newest Google toys.

9. They are always striving for improvement, and understand that "great just isn't good enough".

Everyone wants to know!

2005-12-07T10:59:00.000-05:00

It seems to be the question on everyone's minds - Who is the Google Librarian? And what makes him/her the Google Librarian? Wouldn't you like to know? ;)

The Google Librarian is half superhero, and half librarian. She has superpowers that makes others envious - she can search the web at lightning fast speeds, plucking out even the most obscure information with a few simple keystrokes. Unfortunately, the Google Librarian has one fatal flaw - she is rendered powerless without a a Blackbery or computer at hand. And so this is why the Google Librarian never leaves home without an internet connection, whether it be through her phone, a PDA, or a laptop.

Now, seriously... my name is Julie and I am employed by the Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio. A lot of people have asked who made the website because I didn't include that information in the site. The reason the information wasn't included was because I wanted to make the information the focus of the site - not who I am. So there you go, mystery solved. :)

The reason I made the website is because I have seen a need for something like this. Internet search engines are becoming a huge part of our jobs, and not everyone understands the finer details of them yet. There are ways to fine-tune your results, and methods to employ that can help you find what you need faster. Plus there are also alot of really cool tools that Google offers that I think librarians would find interesting. My goal is to share my knowledge and expertise with fellow librarians and information professionals.

Tune in every day for more sneak peeks into the mind and life of the Google Librarian. And if you haven't done so already, get Mozilla Firefox. It will help you in your quest to become a Google Librarian yourself, and its available right on this blog or www.googlelibrarian.com. To read more about Firefox and the handy dandy Google Toolbar, visit the Google Librarian's guide to firefox.

Next up: What makes her the Google Librarian, A day in the life of the Google Librarian and An actual photograph of the amazing Google Librarian herself.