I've Been Memed!

Yikes! I've been memed by RealityWired. But this one seems worthwhile. It's a blog tips meme. So I'll join in. The point, I believe, is not only to spread a little link love, but also to offer up some blogging best practices. And so here's the list so far. Mine is the very last.

And since I can't get blogger to let me shift left after pasting the rules below, I'll put my tagees here. And remember, I only tag those I love.

Pond Perspective

IzzyMom

Twas Brillig

Busy Mom

Life with Heathens

Petroville

Start Copy-

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.

Try to make your tip general.

After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!

Just think– if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!

1. Look, read, and learn. ****
-http://www.neonscent.com

2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. ****
-http://www.bushmackel.com/

3. Don’t let money change ya! ***
-http://www.therandomforest.info

4. Always reply to your comments. ***
-http://chattiekat.com

5. Spell check is your friend. ***
- http://thingsbymike.com

6. Be the blog. ***
- http://www.meandmydrum.com/

7. Your readers are your treasure. *
- http://www.brownbaron.com/blog/

8. Titles Are Everything
- http://www.realitywired.com

9. Only blog about things you're really interested in.

- http://workathomemomrevolution.blogspot.com/

-End Copy-

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Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Choice?

Does having too many choices undermine our chance at happiness? Psychologist Barry Schwartz believes it does. He says that the smorgasbord of choices available to the average person in the areas of food, clothing, electronics, technology, lifestyle, entertainment, and even career leaves us with unreasonably high expectations which, more often than not, leads to misery.

Were we happier when life was simpler? Is the secret to success - as he proposes - having low expectations? Is there a point of saturation, where one more variety of salad dressing won't enhance our lives? That's what he believes. And he's written a book about it entitled The Paradox of Choice.

I love having lots of choices, myself. But there does come a time, I believe, when more is not necessarily better. Who hasn't been to the video store and been so overwhelmed with the selection that they finally just walked out without renting anything?

If you want to know more about The Paradox of Choice, watch the video below. Barry Schwartz is a very entertaining speaker with a great sense of humor. Watch his presentation or that of 128 other great speakers on a variety of subjects. Too much choice?

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MySpace Throws out Trash...But More Action Needed

MySpace reported today that it has deleted 29,000 MySpace accounts registered to known sex offenders, and I applaud them for doing something, however belated it may be. Unfortunately, many children were victimized before action was taken. In January, the families of several minors who "fell prey to adult predators posing as minors" sued MySpace for failing to provide safeguards, according to Reuters.

In the past six months, the popularity of MySpace has dwindled somewhat, as many high school and college students have made the jump to Facebook, which has a more sophisticated, less gaudy reputation. And I predict the exodus will continue unless MySpace makes other much needed changes, such as age verification of its users and parental permission for minors.

For now, it looks as if MySpace is imploding on itself, becoming less a social network and more a billboard for the masses.

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Work at Home JOB Alert!

Saw this on a message board I frequent. I understand lots of people work for them and love it. Be aware that the training is unpaid, however.

VIPdesk, leading provider in contact center solutions for premium brands has 500 Brand Ambassador openings immediately!!!

Brand Ambassadors, Customer Service independent contractors, service inbound calls and emails for premium brand clients within the retail industry!! More specifically, VIPdesk's openings are for Brand Ambassadors who reside in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah or Virginia.

If you have:

• Great Customer Service skills
• Minimum FICO score of 500
• Quiet Home-office
• Computer
• Business phone line with unlimited long-distance

Submit your resume at www.vipdesk.com for immediate consideration!

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Punch Drunk on the Internet?

I recently read an article by the Guardian Unlimited's Andrew Brown which has me thinking. In it, he proposes that the Internet will be to today's journalists the equivalent of drink to an alcoholic, that it will dampen minds and become simply a regurgitation of already expressed thoughts and ideas. But most frightening, he suggests that the Internet will interrupt the creative process, leaving no space for the meditative process that frequently takes place before a writer sits down to write.

I agree with him on this point: the Internet is incredibly distracting. It offers up an endless array of oddities, news, gossip, visions that were previously unavailable to most people. Its allure is hard to resist. And it isn't especially conducive to contemplation or deep thought.

But while this is true, it's also true that the Internet offers unlimited possibility for expression. Never before have so many had the opportunity to express their thoughts, views, art. You've got something to say? Start a blog. You want to be a filmmaker? Make a short film and post it on You Tube. Want to write a book? Publish it as an e-book on your own website or through a site like Lulu.com.

Is the Internet a dangerous addiction or a door to a wide world of possibility? A little of both, perhaps. But if we can manage to keep it from being cluttered with one-page ad sites hawking Viagra, then it might just be the great equalizer, offering more people than ever before the chance to shine.

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How Many Calories in that Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

I've always thought that one of the best things about the Weight Watchers plan is their fast food calorie guides. Unfortunately, having two teens at home, we do a lot of eating on the go. And even though I try to look for healthy meal choices when we eat out, sometimes it's just good old Wendy's or McDonald's.

But there's a site online that will tell you everything you want to know about that McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese, including that it's 540 calories and 29 grams of fat - 29 grams! And while I still might eat that Quarter Pounder, at least I'll be eating it without blinders on. Go now and check out Chowbaby.com to find out how many calories are in your favorite fast food meal.

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Cool Site O' the Day

I love this site! It's the Mom Wiki at Type-A Mom, where members are invited to post their own news and articles. It's a community designed to be maintained by moms. There are lots of great articles to read. You can post your own pics. And most important, you can socialize with other moms. Check it out!


Find more on diversity in the workplace at DiversityJobs.com.

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Just Thought This was Funny....and Timely

Cartoon courtesy of bLaugh.com

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I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

I've been awarded a Rockin' Girl Blogger Award by Brillig of 'Twas Brillig, a rockin' girl blogger herself. I'd like to thank my mother for bringing me into this world, my father for doing his part, and my first grade teacher, Mrs. Johnson, for teaching me how to read and write. Last but not least, I could never have done it without a helpful community of fellow bloggers who have, with great patience, explained to me such simple concepts as metatags, link exchanges, and page rank. The list goes on...

As a member of the Rockin' Girl Blogger's Club, it's my task to nominate five girl bloggers that I believe are rockin' their blogs. And so after much thought, here's my list:

Essential Keystrokes

Christy's Coffee Break

O the Joys

Freelance Writing Jobs

Success from the Nest

Congratulations! To grab your Rockin' Girl Blogger bling and read all about your award, go here.

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First Impressions in the Era of Google, MySpace, and Facebook

Have you Googled your name yet? I recently did, and I was surprised to find myself six down on the first page. Now my name is fairly common. So if I'm that easy to find, how much easier might it be to find someone with a more unique name?

I point this out because so many home business owners and work at home parents are using Facebook or MySpace to promote their business, website, or blog. And sometimes it's easy to forget that whatever you put out there for the world to see should represent you as you want to be viewed by future employers, business associates, and clients.

Social networks can be a great tool for promoting your business or blog if used properly. But you should keep in mind that a prospective client or employer's first impression of you might be the picture that pops up on MySpace, the off-color joke on your Facebook, or the rant about some colleague on your blog.

It's a big world. But the Internet has made it much smaller in a sense. I've had contact with people from China, England, Australia - you name it - because they read and commented on my blog, or I read and commented on their blog. The Internet has made that possible; it's put the whole world at our fingertips. But it's also made it nearly impossible to both have an online presence and remain private.

And once you're out there, you're out there. Google your name and see what first impression you're giving.

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Aren't I Lucky?

I live in the greatest country in the world. Happy 4th of July!

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Do You Have What it Takes to Work From Home?

It seems like everyone wants to telecommute these days. After all, what could be better than working in your pajamas? You roll out of bed, grab some coffee, and you're ready to go. No more rush-hour traffic. And just think of the savings on gas alone.

But not everyone has the right personality to work from home. Successful telecommuters tend to be very self-motivated. It's hard to make yourself work when the remote control is close at hand, the phone is ringing, or your children are demanding your attention.

Telecommuters also must have above average time management and organizational skills. No one is leaning over your shoulder, making sure the job gets done on time. There is very little supervision.

But most of all, the desire to work from home must be strong. If you need social interaction, if you just live for office gossip and water cooler society, then telecommuting isn't for you. It can be quite isolating. There's also not much positive reinforcement. No one is there to pat you on the back and tell you what a great job you're doing.

Future-trends.com has a quiz to help you determine if telecommuting is right for you. Take it and see whether you are a good candidate for telecommuting. It's an option that can be very rewarding, if it's the right choice for you.

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