And this is only the beginning. There are some incredible tricks which you can do with these amazing little objects. Read this new lens all about Buckyballs and Buckyballs Tricks.
Australian Food Specialties
15 years ago
Monday, November 21, 2011
Buckyballs : One Of The Top 100 Toys Of All Time
Still looking for a great gift idea for Christmas? Did you know that Time Magazine selected Buckyballs as one of the top 100 toys of all time? In case you have never seen Buckyballs before, watch the short video below:
And this is only the beginning. There are some incredible tricks which you can do with these amazing little objects. Read this new lens all about Buckyballs and Buckyballs Tricks.
And this is only the beginning. There are some incredible tricks which you can do with these amazing little objects. Read this new lens all about Buckyballs and Buckyballs Tricks.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Electronic Cigarettes: A New Alternatives to Cigarettes
So many cigarette smokers try repeatedly to quit smoking and yet fail miserably. Despite knowing the risk of smoking, they are unable to quit. Cigarettes are known to be incredibly addictive.
Electronic cigarettes may offer a solution for some. Electronic cigarettes is basically vaporized nicotine which has a flavor that, to many, tastes similar to regular cigarettes. However, nothing is burnt and nothing toxic is inhaled.
An article by the American Association of Public Health Physicians, states "E-cigarettes deliver the same nicotine found in the pharmaceutical products, with no more contamination by toxic substances than the pharmaceutical products already approved by FDA."
Some people may be able to use electronic cigarettes to stop smoking. Others who can not stop, may be healthier smoking electronic cigarettes rather than regular cigarettes. In either case, electronic cigarettes may allow a certain part of the population to lead a healthier life.
Electronic cigarettes may offer a solution for some. Electronic cigarettes is basically vaporized nicotine which has a flavor that, to many, tastes similar to regular cigarettes. However, nothing is burnt and nothing toxic is inhaled.
An article by the American Association of Public Health Physicians, states "E-cigarettes deliver the same nicotine found in the pharmaceutical products, with no more contamination by toxic substances than the pharmaceutical products already approved by FDA."
Some people may be able to use electronic cigarettes to stop smoking. Others who can not stop, may be healthier smoking electronic cigarettes rather than regular cigarettes. In either case, electronic cigarettes may allow a certain part of the population to lead a healthier life.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Top 10 Best Christmas Gifts
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| Christmas Gifts 2014 |
Thanks to getting clobbered by a big, nasty, freak snowstorm in the Northeast this October, I'm really feeling the Christmas Spirit this year, how about you?
It's about time to celebrate Christmas and of course gift-giving is part of the tradition. I've been pondering what to gift family and friends this Holiday Season, while whittling away the hours of the day decorating trees out in the front yard with Christmas lights for the upcoming Holidays.
As I take a break from decorating in the crisp autumn air I sip on some hot cider and check out a popular online gift guide for inspiration. It features the Top 10 Best Christmas Gifts for 2014, I see that it's going to be a great year for gift giving thanks to Santa's elves who have been hard at work creating some interesting new and fun presents for giving this year.
As I take a break from decorating in the crisp autumn air I sip on some hot cider and check out a popular online gift guide for inspiration. It features the Top 10 Best Christmas Gifts for 2014, I see that it's going to be a great year for gift giving thanks to Santa's elves who have been hard at work creating some interesting new and fun presents for giving this year.
The more I shop around for Christmas presents for my kids, nieces and nephews, the more I think HEY - this is a great time to be a kid! I mean with all the new technology, today's gift choices are absolutely mind boggling. Check out some of this Holidays gifts for girls and cool boys gifts, ahhh - what I wouldn't give to be a kid again just to play with some of these toys! From remote control helicopters to the latest generation of video games I find myself wanting some of this stuff for me. lol Not that there's anything wrong with them, but there's no way I'm giving these kids gift cards for Christmas, not with all the awesome gifts out there to choose from. I'm simply having too much fun picking out cool gifts for them!
Then while online scouting out the latest and greatest Christmas Gifts, I ran across a site with some of the most cleaver ideas for stocking stuffer's I've ever seen. Plus, the site had some excellent tips for stuffing a really good Christmas Stocking. I can hardly wait for Christmas, it's my favorite time of the year, celebrating with family and friends, we spread the yuletide cheer.
Have a Very Merry Christmas! by flowski
Have a Very Merry Christmas! by flowski
Just In Time For The Holidays: Low Calorie Foods
Holidays are around the corner and this means we are all going to eat more than we should. This means that as of the first of the year we are all going to start making resolutions to lose weight. Same as every year.
More than half of the US population is now considered obese and from 1980 to 2004, the percentage of young people who were obese tripled nationwide, rising to 18 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Happy holidays!
But there are some little known low calorie foods out there which can make the holidays less difficult. In fact there are so many excellent low calorie food ideas that this lens may develop into several lenses. So, start your holidays out right by planning to include some of these low calorie foods
More than half of the US population is now considered obese and from 1980 to 2004, the percentage of young people who were obese tripled nationwide, rising to 18 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Happy holidays!
But there are some little known low calorie foods out there which can make the holidays less difficult. In fact there are so many excellent low calorie food ideas that this lens may develop into several lenses. So, start your holidays out right by planning to include some of these low calorie foods
Friday, September 9, 2011
Squidoo Tips and Tricks #4: Is Your Lens Indexed?
For the first couple of years that I made Squidoo lenses, I just made them and hoped that traffic would come. Some lenses did get traffic and some got ZILCH (ie, nothing). I was puzzled that many of them were simply ignored by Google. Google is king and if your lens is not getting traffic from Google, it is doomed.
To my surprise, I soon discovered that some of my lenses were not only ignored by Google, they were not even indexed! That means, that Google did not even know some of my lenses existed. How do you know if your lens is indexed by Google? The best way is to copy and paste a single line from your lens and put it into Google with quotations around it. For example, I recently wrote a lens called What To Do About Cold Feet? The first sentence is: There are many reasons why feet are always cold.. If you put that sentence into Google like this:
"There are many reasons why feet are always cold"
You should get TWO hits, first my lens and sencond this blog post. If you do that with your lens and nothing comes up...WHOOPS...your lens is not indexed and it will NEVER get Google traffic, not a good thing.
What is the best way to get your lenses indexed? In my experience, the best way to make sure your lens is indexed is to give it a quality link, the more links, the better. I find a link from a blog to be one of the best ways to get a link to a Squidoo lens and for that reason, I write a post from this blog for nearly every lens that I create. If you do not have a blog, that might be a good reason to start one. If you are a Squidoo Giant, you are invited to participate in this blog. Read more about that in this lens about Valley of The Giants.
This is my forth in the series of Squidoo Tips and Tricks. I am looking for your feedback. Are these tips and tricks helpful? Is there anything else you would like to see discussed in future tips and tricks?
To my surprise, I soon discovered that some of my lenses were not only ignored by Google, they were not even indexed! That means, that Google did not even know some of my lenses existed. How do you know if your lens is indexed by Google? The best way is to copy and paste a single line from your lens and put it into Google with quotations around it. For example, I recently wrote a lens called What To Do About Cold Feet? The first sentence is: There are many reasons why feet are always cold.. If you put that sentence into Google like this:
"There are many reasons why feet are always cold"
You should get TWO hits, first my lens and sencond this blog post. If you do that with your lens and nothing comes up...WHOOPS...your lens is not indexed and it will NEVER get Google traffic, not a good thing.
What is the best way to get your lenses indexed? In my experience, the best way to make sure your lens is indexed is to give it a quality link, the more links, the better. I find a link from a blog to be one of the best ways to get a link to a Squidoo lens and for that reason, I write a post from this blog for nearly every lens that I create. If you do not have a blog, that might be a good reason to start one. If you are a Squidoo Giant, you are invited to participate in this blog. Read more about that in this lens about Valley of The Giants.
This is my forth in the series of Squidoo Tips and Tricks. I am looking for your feedback. Are these tips and tricks helpful? Is there anything else you would like to see discussed in future tips and tricks?
Friday, September 2, 2011
Squidoo Tips And Tricks #3: Amazon Modules
I try to put an Amazon module on every lens I have. Why? Several reasons.
* Commissions: Obviously, Amazon modules sell stuff and you get a commision on every sale.
* Lens Rank: Amazon modules help your lensrank in two ways. First, everytime someone clicks on an Amazon module, you get a "clickout" the more clickouts, the better your lensrank. Read more about why clickouts are good. Second, if you earn a commission, that also improves your lensrank.
* Diversity. An Amazon module has pictures and adds interesting diversity to your page.
But which is the best Amazon module to use? These days I prefer the classic Amazon module. I no longer use Amazon Spotlight UNLESS I am listing a book. Why?
In most cases if you select the products, the product will change within 1 year and you will have a deadlink. If you select the products, you must check the links every few months to make sure that they are still active. This is not so difficult if you have 2 or 3 lenses. But if you have over 100, you will not be able to check all of the links.
In this case it is best to use a classic Amazon module and select "Let Amazon Choose". In this case you will seldom get deadlinks. The problem with letting Amazon choose is that sometimes Amazon chooses the wrong products. It can be difficult to find the right keywords to use and often takes some trial and error. For example, on this lens about Christmas 2011, I have Amazon module about Ride On Cars. I selected the catagory Toys and put Ride On Cars into the keyword space, however, instead of Ride On Cars, I got a variety of toy cars, most of them not the type I was interested. After I looked at the cars, I noticed that most of the Ride On Cars I was interested in had MP3 players. So, if I use the keywords Ride On Cars MP3, I got the type of cars I was interested in displaying.
Why will I use Amazon spotlight if I am listing a book? Because when you are listing a book, you use the ASIN number for a book. That number will not change. So long as the book is being sold, if you have used the ASIN number that book will always appear in your module. I actually prefer the spotlight modules for books because the image is large and it looks nice. So, unless you have alot of books you want to sell, use the spotlight module for books and the traditional Amazon module for everything else.
This is my third in the series of Squidoo Tips And Tricks. I wonder if these are helpful to anyone? Is there anything else you would like me to cover? If I get a good response, there will be more. If not, this idea will probably die out.
* Commissions: Obviously, Amazon modules sell stuff and you get a commision on every sale.
* Lens Rank: Amazon modules help your lensrank in two ways. First, everytime someone clicks on an Amazon module, you get a "clickout" the more clickouts, the better your lensrank. Read more about why clickouts are good. Second, if you earn a commission, that also improves your lensrank.
* Diversity. An Amazon module has pictures and adds interesting diversity to your page.
But which is the best Amazon module to use? These days I prefer the classic Amazon module. I no longer use Amazon Spotlight UNLESS I am listing a book. Why?
In most cases if you select the products, the product will change within 1 year and you will have a deadlink. If you select the products, you must check the links every few months to make sure that they are still active. This is not so difficult if you have 2 or 3 lenses. But if you have over 100, you will not be able to check all of the links.
In this case it is best to use a classic Amazon module and select "Let Amazon Choose". In this case you will seldom get deadlinks. The problem with letting Amazon choose is that sometimes Amazon chooses the wrong products. It can be difficult to find the right keywords to use and often takes some trial and error. For example, on this lens about Christmas 2011, I have Amazon module about Ride On Cars. I selected the catagory Toys and put Ride On Cars into the keyword space, however, instead of Ride On Cars, I got a variety of toy cars, most of them not the type I was interested. After I looked at the cars, I noticed that most of the Ride On Cars I was interested in had MP3 players. So, if I use the keywords Ride On Cars MP3, I got the type of cars I was interested in displaying.
Why will I use Amazon spotlight if I am listing a book? Because when you are listing a book, you use the ASIN number for a book. That number will not change. So long as the book is being sold, if you have used the ASIN number that book will always appear in your module. I actually prefer the spotlight modules for books because the image is large and it looks nice. So, unless you have alot of books you want to sell, use the spotlight module for books and the traditional Amazon module for everything else.
This is my third in the series of Squidoo Tips And Tricks. I wonder if these are helpful to anyone? Is there anything else you would like me to cover? If I get a good response, there will be more. If not, this idea will probably die out.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wheelchair Toys : Gift Idea for Both Able-Bodied and Disabled Children
Recently I posted about wheelchair armrest pets a fun gift idea for a wheelchair user. But that got me thinking about other toys for wheelchair users. I discovered that there were quite a few wheelchair toys especially designed for wheelchair users and able-bodied children alike.
What kind of toys are there? There is a Barbie Doll, named Becky "Share A Smile". Becky is a wheelchair using doll, who looks alot like Barbie, except of course she is in a wheelchair. Becky did not come without controversy. For example, Becky's wheelchair did not fit into the Barbie House, a situation which many wheelchair users are all too familiar with.
Other toys for wheelchair users include Playmobil Wheelchair with patient and a child in a wheelchair. There are also simple toy wheelchairs which a child can use to push around their doll.
These toys are not exclusively for children in wheelchairs. They can also be giving to able bodied children whose classmates or siblings are wheelchair users in order to make them more sensitive or understanding of the life of a wheelchair user.
Not everyone is in agreement with toys with disabilities. According to an article published in the NYTimes
What kind of toys are there? There is a Barbie Doll, named Becky "Share A Smile". Becky is a wheelchair using doll, who looks alot like Barbie, except of course she is in a wheelchair. Becky did not come without controversy. For example, Becky's wheelchair did not fit into the Barbie House, a situation which many wheelchair users are all too familiar with.
Other toys for wheelchair users include Playmobil Wheelchair with patient and a child in a wheelchair. There are also simple toy wheelchairs which a child can use to push around their doll.
These toys are not exclusively for children in wheelchairs. They can also be giving to able bodied children whose classmates or siblings are wheelchair users in order to make them more sensitive or understanding of the life of a wheelchair user.
Not everyone is in agreement with toys with disabilities. According to an article published in the NYTimes
It might be a harder sell than the toy company thinks. "The name makes me want to gag," said Leslie Heller, who has cerebral palsy. Nadina LaSpina, who had polio, said, "It shows they can make money off of us.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
A Fun Gift Idea For A Wheelchair User
Are you looking for a fun gift for a wheelchair user? Consider Wheelchair Armrest Pets. Wheelchair Armrest Pets are stufed animals which attach to the armrest of wheelchairs. Instead of resting the arms against cold plastic armrests, your loved one will share their moments with these lovely wheelchair armrest pets which will keep them company all day long.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Squidoo Tips And Tricks #2: Monitor Your ClickOuts
How often do you check your clickouts? Honestly, I do not do it often enough and I bet there are some people who never check there clickouts at all. In case it is not clear what a clickout is, that is when someone clicks on a link in your lens and it takes them somewhere OUTSIDE of Squidoo. Why are clickouts important?
* First, many times clickouts are from commercial modules such as Amazon or Ebay. Checking your clickouts will tell you what people are buying from your lens, or more importantly, what they are not buying. If a certain product has no clickouts, maybe it is time delete and replace it with something else.
* Second, one of the factors which determine your lensrank is the number of clickouts that you have. If your lens has alot of clickouts it will rank higher. Higher ranking lenses earn more money from Squidoo.
So, for two reasons, if a certain product or link has no clickouts, it is wasting valuable real estate on your lens and should be replaced with something else.
As an example, I have a lens about Christmas 2011. Recently, that lens had 3 Amazon modules on it, one with Christmas songs, another with postpartum girdles and the third with Christmas Cards. When I reviewed my clickouts, I noticed that the Christmas cards and postpartum girdles were getting all of the clickouts. Christmas Songs? Nada. Zip. Nothing. Even though they were at the top of the lens, Christmas Songs were getting NO clickouts at all. I guess people are not so excited about buying DVDS of Christmas songs. Needless to say, I deleted the Christmas songs and am currently testing other products.
How do you check clickouts for a lens? On your Squidoo dashboard, point your mouse at the lens you are interested in. Below the lens you will see "Edit, Label, Stats, Delete. Click on Stats. On the top of the Stats page you will see "Summary, Traffic, Earnings, Royalties", click on Traffic. Scroll to the bottom of the Traffic page to find the clickouts for that lens. It should look something like this:
This is my second in the series of Squidoo Tips And Tricks. I wonder if these are helpful to anyone? Is there anything else you would like me to cover? If I get a good response, there will be more. If not, this idea will probably die out.
* First, many times clickouts are from commercial modules such as Amazon or Ebay. Checking your clickouts will tell you what people are buying from your lens, or more importantly, what they are not buying. If a certain product has no clickouts, maybe it is time delete and replace it with something else.
* Second, one of the factors which determine your lensrank is the number of clickouts that you have. If your lens has alot of clickouts it will rank higher. Higher ranking lenses earn more money from Squidoo.
So, for two reasons, if a certain product or link has no clickouts, it is wasting valuable real estate on your lens and should be replaced with something else.
As an example, I have a lens about Christmas 2011. Recently, that lens had 3 Amazon modules on it, one with Christmas songs, another with postpartum girdles and the third with Christmas Cards. When I reviewed my clickouts, I noticed that the Christmas cards and postpartum girdles were getting all of the clickouts. Christmas Songs? Nada. Zip. Nothing. Even though they were at the top of the lens, Christmas Songs were getting NO clickouts at all. I guess people are not so excited about buying DVDS of Christmas songs. Needless to say, I deleted the Christmas songs and am currently testing other products.
How do you check clickouts for a lens? On your Squidoo dashboard, point your mouse at the lens you are interested in. Below the lens you will see "Edit, Label, Stats, Delete. Click on Stats. On the top of the Stats page you will see "Summary, Traffic, Earnings, Royalties", click on Traffic. Scroll to the bottom of the Traffic page to find the clickouts for that lens. It should look something like this:
This is my second in the series of Squidoo Tips And Tricks. I wonder if these are helpful to anyone? Is there anything else you would like me to cover? If I get a good response, there will be more. If not, this idea will probably die out.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Squidoo Tips and Tricks #1: Put Duel AND Comment Box On ALL Lenses
I have decided to start a new feature called "Squidoo Tips and Tricks". Squidoo Tips and Tricks will be the things that I have learned in my five or so years of being in Squidoo. Many of them will be small reminders, which you may already know. I hope some of these will be helpful.
Here is tip #1: Put BOTH duel and comment box on all lenses. Allow everyone (not just logged in Squidoo members) to post, but require that you approve all posts. Strip out all HTML. Above you will find a screen grab of how I set all of my duel and comment modules. Why?
Search engines like fresh content. If a website or lens is old and not updated, in time it will drop in the rankings. Comment box and duel modules allow site visitors to create content for you. Not only do you get to read their interesting feedback, these modules keep your lens fresh. This is why I allow everyone to post whether they are member of Squidoo or not. However, you get a lot of spam. So, you must review all comments before they are allowed to be posted. While I typically delete most posts with links or html inside, check the "strip out htmal" in case you let one slip by. Why? You can get punished for having links to bad websites.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
What To Do About Cold Feet
Winter is around the corner and many people suffer from cold feet. No I am not talking about the type you get before getting married, I am talking about the type you get when it gets cold, or as you start getting older. Cold feet can be painful and distressing.
In doing my research for the lens, I stumbled across some interesting things I had never heard about, such as slippers powered by a UBS connection, allowing you to work as long as you want while your slippers are warmed by the power from your computer.
Of course another interesting ideas, and perhaps more fun, is footed pajamas. Since footies cover from top to bottom, the heat generated by your entire body is channeled down south to the freezing extremities, otherwise known as your tootsies. Check them out.
In doing my research for the lens, I stumbled across some interesting things I had never heard about, such as slippers powered by a UBS connection, allowing you to work as long as you want while your slippers are warmed by the power from your computer.
Of course another interesting ideas, and perhaps more fun, is footed pajamas. Since footies cover from top to bottom, the heat generated by your entire body is channeled down south to the freezing extremities, otherwise known as your tootsies. Check them out.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
All About Onesies
I was looking for a way to extend my lens collection about footed pajamas and came up with the idea of making a lens about onesies. Why? Onesies and footed pajamas are very similar. If you have a baby, in the winter you will dress them in footies and in the summer in onesies. But doing this lens, I learned a few things.
First, I had never heard about onesie extenders. What a great way to get more life from your baby's onesie.
Second, I learned that there are onesies for adults which snap at the crotch. These are mostly used by adults who use diapers, due to incontinence or other reasons.
Small things, but it seems like whenever I make a lens, I learn something in the process.
First, I had never heard about onesie extenders. What a great way to get more life from your baby's onesie.
Second, I learned that there are onesies for adults which snap at the crotch. These are mostly used by adults who use diapers, due to incontinence or other reasons.
Small things, but it seems like whenever I make a lens, I learn something in the process.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Footed Pajamas Lens Gets 500th Like!
Wow, my footed pajamas lens has reached a new milestone. 500 likes! Whoopie!
I have other successful lenses but none have managed to even come to close to the success that this lens has achieved. What is the secret to its success? I have no idea. But I enjoy it anyway.
I have other successful lenses but none have managed to even come to close to the success that this lens has achieved. What is the secret to its success? I have no idea. But I enjoy it anyway.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
How To Spot Fake Ugg Boots
One of the areas I have focused on with my Squidoo lenses is Ugg Boots and alternatives to Ugg Boots. Some of the alternatives to Ugg Boots include sheepskin boots made from quality manufacturers. I have never supported the idea of buying counterfeit Ugg boots. Why? Boots which feature the trade names of another company are rip offs. The company behind the boots has no incentive to make a quality product and most likely they will quickly fall apart. Therefore, I have made a lens to help people to know how to spot fake ugg boots.
Friday, July 1, 2011
A Spurt Of Squidoo Activity
I dont know why but sometimes I get in the mood to create Squidoo lenses and in a few days I make four or five of them. Maybe it is the fact that I am thinking about the holidays. Maybe it is the fact that I just like making Squidoo lenses.
My newest lens is about Gifts For Women. It includes gift ideas from pajama jeans to matching footed pajamas.
I have a few more lens ideas on my mind and I will probably make them in the next few days. Sometimes, I can not stop thinking about them until I have them made. Strange.
My newest lens is about Gifts For Women. It includes gift ideas from pajama jeans to matching footed pajamas.
I have a few more lens ideas on my mind and I will probably make them in the next few days. Sometimes, I can not stop thinking about them until I have them made. Strange.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Best Free Cartoons
Like all children my little boy loves cartoons. But too many cartoons are full of violence. Some violence is silly, like Elmer Fudd falling off of a cliff or an anvil hitting a rabbit in the face. Some of the violence is more dramatic, like a super hero shooting a group of criminals with a machine gun. Either way, I prefer that he does not see cartoons with such violence. So, I have searched high and low for cartoons that A) will entertain a baby and B) will not be so violent or shocking and C) are available for free on Youtube.
I have selected the some of the best cartoons on Youtube and created a lens called the Best FREE Cartoons. I have watched all of them together with my little guy and these meet with both of our approval. I hope that others can enjoy them.
I have selected the some of the best cartoons on Youtube and created a lens called the Best FREE Cartoons. I have watched all of them together with my little guy and these meet with both of our approval. I hope that others can enjoy them.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saving Money On Maternity Clothes
If you are pregnant and don't want to spend alot of money on clothes you will wear for only a few months, consider getting a maternity band. What is a maternity band? No, it is not a group of pregnant musicians. A maternity band is a type of belly band. It is something like a tank top which fits over your regular clothes and allows you to wear regular clothes during your pregnancy days. Though that simple explanation may make maternity bands sound tacky, many women are wearing maternity bands and enjoying the savings that they bring. If you have had any personal experiences with maternity bands, please leave a comment below.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Buzzle Deleted All Of My Articles
I have had an account with Buzzle for about as long as I have had an account with Squidoo, which is 3-4 years. Over the years, Buzzle has gotten more and more difficult to work with. For example, initially you could have several links in an article and about 1 or 2 years ago, this was changed so that you could only have one link. A very restrictive policy, but because Buzzle appeared to be a quality website, I submitted content from time to time.
Recently, I went to submit a new article and discovered that all of my articles were gone! Deleted. No word from their administration, simply all ten of my articles, all written just for Buzzle had vanished. I wrote this to their admin:
Here is the response:
So, first Buzzle insists upon unique content. Then, they do not tell you, but your articles have a limited lifespan on their website. When they want to "update their website" they will simply delete all of your content and say nothing to you.
The other thing is that all of my content that I had submitted to Buzzle was plagiarized and appeared elsewhere on the internt by copyright thieves who had stolen my content. So now all of my hard work is gone, and only under the names of the copyright thieves who stole it. Thanks alot Buzzle.
Question, why would ANYONE write for Buzzle knowing that Buzzle will eventually delete their content? So, let this be a warning to other authors. Submitting content to Buzzle is a waste of time.
Recently, I went to submit a new article and discovered that all of my articles were gone! Deleted. No word from their administration, simply all ten of my articles, all written just for Buzzle had vanished. I wrote this to their admin:
I have had an account with Buzzle for years. I probably had 10 articles submitted and reviewed. All were original. Imagine my surprise to log on and find all of them gone. Those articles represented hours of work. What happened to them?
Here is the response:
We periodically review content from both current and inactive accounts. Such procedure updates our database to ensure Buzzle.com offers a high quality experience to our users. During routine reviews one or more of your articles were deleted so that our database remains updated with the latest content.
So, first Buzzle insists upon unique content. Then, they do not tell you, but your articles have a limited lifespan on their website. When they want to "update their website" they will simply delete all of your content and say nothing to you.
The other thing is that all of my content that I had submitted to Buzzle was plagiarized and appeared elsewhere on the internt by copyright thieves who had stolen my content. So now all of my hard work is gone, and only under the names of the copyright thieves who stole it. Thanks alot Buzzle.
Question, why would ANYONE write for Buzzle knowing that Buzzle will eventually delete their content? So, let this be a warning to other authors. Submitting content to Buzzle is a waste of time.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Free Childrens Songs
Children love to listen to music. But in addition to being entertaining some childrens music can also be educational. Some childrens music teach shapes, colors, alphabet as well as numbers. Best of all some of this music is free.
I have put together a lens featuring the some of the best free childrens songs available on Youtube. Sure you can find the same songs by goind directly to Youtube. But it will take you hours of work to find this great selection of quality free childrens songs.
I have put together a lens featuring the some of the best free childrens songs available on Youtube. Sure you can find the same songs by goind directly to Youtube. But it will take you hours of work to find this great selection of quality free childrens songs.
Friday, June 3, 2011
ArticleZones Article Directory: Batting 50-50
As written earlier, I am trying to find article directories with which to generate links from my website. I will continue to post my findings here.
Article Zones is an article website which publishes immediately. Links are not allowed in the article body. Only two links are allowed in the resource box. That is a bummer. Only 250 words are required, which is a good thing.
I have submitted four articles to Article Zones. The first two which published in April 2010 and April 2011 were both indexed by Google. The second two which were published in May and June 2011 have not yet been indexed even though I submitted them to Pingler.
It is possible that in time these two articles will get indexed, so I will link to them here and come back and see: Why are people buying adult footies and The Most Unique Christmas Gift.
Who knows, maybe giving them a link from this blog will help in the indexing process.
Article Zones is an article website which publishes immediately. Links are not allowed in the article body. Only two links are allowed in the resource box. That is a bummer. Only 250 words are required, which is a good thing.
I have submitted four articles to Article Zones. The first two which published in April 2010 and April 2011 were both indexed by Google. The second two which were published in May and June 2011 have not yet been indexed even though I submitted them to Pingler.
It is possible that in time these two articles will get indexed, so I will link to them here and come back and see: Why are people buying adult footies and The Most Unique Christmas Gift.
Who knows, maybe giving them a link from this blog will help in the indexing process.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Restaurant Style Chicken Salad Recipe
Ooops...ERROR ERROR..lol
I posted to this blog in error. Sorry!
I posted to this blog in error. Sorry!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Best Christmas Gifts For 2011
Tired of giving the same old, same old year after year? Looking for a unique, creative, fresh Christmas Gift Idea for 2011? It can be very difficult to come up with a some fresh and unique Christmas Gift Ideas. So, although it is still June, we have been racking our brains (or is it wracking our brains? I never get that one right) to come up with some really unique and fresh Christmas Gift Ideas. So, without further ado, please check out our selection of the 10 Best Christmas Gifts 2011.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Summer music workshops at the PicknBow folkmusic retreat in Durham NC June 24-26, 2011
Jane Peppler, Bob Vasile, and Danny Gotham will be holding a folkmusic weekend in Durham, NC June 24-26, 2011. That's coming up soon! It's Danny's idea, and you can read more about it here: PICKNBOW FOLKMUSIC RETREAT WEEKEND.
Friday evening there'll be a meet-and-greet, choosing classes, and an impromptu singing, picking, jam session, concert for all.
Saturday we'll start early with classes, a shared lunch, more classes, and a concert - session at night.
Sunday we start at noon and wrap up by 6 pm.It's inexpensive and we welcome participants at all skill levels! You can download the whole brochure (with our bios and details): PicknBow folkmusic weekend brochure. To register or for more information call Danny at (919)967.4934 or e-mail him at steelstringer@gmail.com Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Best Article Directory?
You have built a website and are looking for places to give it links. You search the internet for suggestions and what do you see? Virtually every list of article directories place Ezines at the top of the list. Common logic is to write an article and place it in Ezines. Why? Ezines gets alot of traffic and has high Google rankings (PR 6) Sounds like a good idea? I am not so sure.
I have placed several articles in Ezines and this is what I do not like about it:
* The Ezine rules and regulations are amazingly strict. 400 word minimum, under 2% of your words can be keywords, 1 week approval time, links to your website ONLY in the resource box at the end of your article. Break any of their rules and your article is rejected. WOW! You are sending Ezines free content and have to jump through very high hurdles just to get them to publish it. But rules are good right? It means that if your article is "selected" for publication that it will be some value to you, right? Not necessarily.
* I have placed some articles into Ezines that were not indexed by google. If they are not indexed by Google, that means that Google does not even know about it. The articles that are not indexded, and their links, are of no value to me.
* The ezine URL of the articles is not a standard URL ending in a suffix like .html, rather it is long and messy. I am not certain if this plays a role in the indexing process, but it is hard to link to. I have had some sites, for example SheToldMe.com where I often link to help articles get indexed, refuse to accept it. At shetoldme, I get the error message "Story's URL: The URL is not functioning!". No wonder, the URL is a mess.
* Almost every article that I have placed has been reproduced on other website. The copied articles almost NEVER include my links to my website. In fact many of the "stolen" copies of my articles include links to other websites. Why do I say stolen? If they have not included the link to my website, this is against the terms of use of Ezines. Problem is that Ezines does nothing to inforce the terms of use. They leave this battle to you the author to fight.
* The copied articles often rank higher in the search engines than my original article in Ezines. How do I know that? Just do a search on the tile of the article. See how many copies come up and see where the Ezines copy ranks.
* So, if google is seeing, for example, 5 versions of your article and the only version of your article with your links in it are at the bottom. How valuable is that article for your website? It will probably not send you any traffic. If Google is ranking other articles, it is possible that the links of those articles have higher value.
* Yes, I see the arguement, "Ezines has Google PR 6, so if I get an article published there, I am passing lots of value to my website. I am not convinced that Google PR is the be all and end all of value of a link. If the link is not indexed, I believe it has no value. If other copies of the article are published which do not have your links in it, I believe that it decreases the value of your article. You will probably get no traffic and since it will be seen as duplicate content, you may get little value from the links.
What do I prefer instead of Ezines? An article published on Squidoo has MUCH higher value in my opinion than an article on Ezines. Why is Squidoo a better place to publish than Ezines?
* Squidoo has little or no review process.
* Squidoo publishes immediately
* YOU have control about where to place your links as well as the number of links
* Your article will give you traffic, links AND money.
* Squidoo articles have short, clean URLs
* My Squidoo articles generally achieve PR 2-4
So, if you are only going to place one article, I think it is clear that you should place it in Squidoo rather than in Ezines. But what if you are going to place many articles? I still think that Ezines is not best place for a unique article. The time you spend meeting all of their requirements has little value when your article is going to end up all over the internet with links to websites other than your own. I would rather suggest to place your article in other article directories where you can place your links in the body of the article rather than in the resource box at the bottom which the copyright right thief will simply leave out. A recent article I submitted to Amazines Why Do So Many People Wear Adult Footie Pajamas? was approved in 1 day. I was able to include as many links as I like and in this article, I have four links. There is no requirement for the links to be placed at the bottom in the resource box, I am able to place my links in the body of the article. This seems better to me.
I have placed several articles in Ezines and this is what I do not like about it:
* The Ezine rules and regulations are amazingly strict. 400 word minimum, under 2% of your words can be keywords, 1 week approval time, links to your website ONLY in the resource box at the end of your article. Break any of their rules and your article is rejected. WOW! You are sending Ezines free content and have to jump through very high hurdles just to get them to publish it. But rules are good right? It means that if your article is "selected" for publication that it will be some value to you, right? Not necessarily.
* I have placed some articles into Ezines that were not indexed by google. If they are not indexed by Google, that means that Google does not even know about it. The articles that are not indexded, and their links, are of no value to me.
* The ezine URL of the articles is not a standard URL ending in a suffix like .html, rather it is long and messy. I am not certain if this plays a role in the indexing process, but it is hard to link to. I have had some sites, for example SheToldMe.com where I often link to help articles get indexed, refuse to accept it. At shetoldme, I get the error message "Story's URL: The URL is not functioning!". No wonder, the URL is a mess.
* Almost every article that I have placed has been reproduced on other website. The copied articles almost NEVER include my links to my website. In fact many of the "stolen" copies of my articles include links to other websites. Why do I say stolen? If they have not included the link to my website, this is against the terms of use of Ezines. Problem is that Ezines does nothing to inforce the terms of use. They leave this battle to you the author to fight.
* The copied articles often rank higher in the search engines than my original article in Ezines. How do I know that? Just do a search on the tile of the article. See how many copies come up and see where the Ezines copy ranks.
* So, if google is seeing, for example, 5 versions of your article and the only version of your article with your links in it are at the bottom. How valuable is that article for your website? It will probably not send you any traffic. If Google is ranking other articles, it is possible that the links of those articles have higher value.
* Yes, I see the arguement, "Ezines has Google PR 6, so if I get an article published there, I am passing lots of value to my website. I am not convinced that Google PR is the be all and end all of value of a link. If the link is not indexed, I believe it has no value. If other copies of the article are published which do not have your links in it, I believe that it decreases the value of your article. You will probably get no traffic and since it will be seen as duplicate content, you may get little value from the links.
What do I prefer instead of Ezines? An article published on Squidoo has MUCH higher value in my opinion than an article on Ezines. Why is Squidoo a better place to publish than Ezines?
* Squidoo has little or no review process.
* Squidoo publishes immediately
* YOU have control about where to place your links as well as the number of links
* Your article will give you traffic, links AND money.
* Squidoo articles have short, clean URLs
* My Squidoo articles generally achieve PR 2-4
So, if you are only going to place one article, I think it is clear that you should place it in Squidoo rather than in Ezines. But what if you are going to place many articles? I still think that Ezines is not best place for a unique article. The time you spend meeting all of their requirements has little value when your article is going to end up all over the internet with links to websites other than your own. I would rather suggest to place your article in other article directories where you can place your links in the body of the article rather than in the resource box at the bottom which the copyright right thief will simply leave out. A recent article I submitted to Amazines Why Do So Many People Wear Adult Footie Pajamas? was approved in 1 day. I was able to include as many links as I like and in this article, I have four links. There is no requirement for the links to be placed at the bottom in the resource box, I am able to place my links in the body of the article. This seems better to me.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
New Footie Pajamas Website Launched
As of today, I am the proud owner of a new website which features adult footie pajamas.
What is unique about this site is that it will focus on adult footie pajamas. In addition to the usual adult footie pajamas, it has a section for plus size footie pajamas and matching footie pajamas for those adults who want to dress for bed in the same footie pajamas that their children wear.
Please come by and visit the Footie Pajamas website and feel free to give your comments and suggestions for improvement.
What is unique about this site is that it will focus on adult footie pajamas. In addition to the usual adult footie pajamas, it has a section for plus size footie pajamas and matching footie pajamas for those adults who want to dress for bed in the same footie pajamas that their children wear.
Please come by and visit the Footie Pajamas website and feel free to give your comments and suggestions for improvement.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tankini Website: Dedicated To Tankinis
Are you familiar with tankinis? The tankini is a two piece swim wear that has only been around for just over a decade. But tankini sales aready account for over 30% of US women's swimwear. So, if you are not familiar with the tankini, you might be surprised that many of your friends and family members are already dedicated fans of the tankini. While the original tankini featured a tank top and a bikini bottom, current styles offer an almost unlimited combination of top bottom styles, giving new combinations such as skirtinis, halterkinis, bandauinis, etc.
The Tankini Website is a brand new website which features ONLY tankinis. Currently the Tankini Website offers:
* Sexy Tankinis
* Plus Size Tankinis
* Halter Tankinis
* Skirtinis
There will be no other swimwear other than tankinis on the Tankini Website. So, if you are a tankini fan, or if you just want to find out more about tankinis, visit the Tankini Website.
The Tankini Website is a brand new website which features ONLY tankinis. Currently the Tankini Website offers:
* Sexy Tankinis
* Plus Size Tankinis
* Halter Tankinis
* Skirtinis
There will be no other swimwear other than tankinis on the Tankini Website. So, if you are a tankini fan, or if you just want to find out more about tankinis, visit the Tankini Website.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Exoskeleton Website Now In Spanish
Recently it was announced on this website that a new website was launched with information about Exoskeletons for wheelchair users. Exoskeletons are a new robotic technology which will allow people with mobility related disabilities to walk again. Exoskeletons will be the first alternative to the wheelchair.
Recently a new website with information about exoskeletons has been launched in Spanish language. The new Spanish language website Exoesqueleto has news, updates and information about robotic exoskeletons for wheelchair users.
Recently a new website with information about exoskeletons has been launched in Spanish language. The new Spanish language website Exoesqueleto has news, updates and information about robotic exoskeletons for wheelchair users.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wheelchair Backpack: A Perfect Gift For A Wheelchair User
Do you know a wheelchair user? Chances are you do or you will. Why? Currently around 1% of the population uses a wheelchair. If you know 100 people chances are 1 of them uses a wheelchair. If you don't know a wheelchair user, chances are you will. The population is aging and the rate of wheelchair users is higher amongst older people.
What is the perfect gift for a wheelchair user? For many wheelchair users, a wheelchair backpack is very "handy"? Why? Manual wheelchair users use their hands to propel the wheelchair. A wheelchair backpack provides the place to store items that many people would put in a purse or simply carry with them.
So when holidays come around, consider a wheelchair backpack for the wheelchair user in your life.
What is the perfect gift for a wheelchair user? For many wheelchair users, a wheelchair backpack is very "handy"? Why? Manual wheelchair users use their hands to propel the wheelchair. A wheelchair backpack provides the place to store items that many people would put in a purse or simply carry with them.
So when holidays come around, consider a wheelchair backpack for the wheelchair user in your life.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Ryan Gosling and Ellen DeGeneres Wearing Footed Pajamas
Watch this video of Ryan Gosling and Ellen DeGeneres wearing footed pajamas on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. At 2:40 minutes Ryan and Ellen are wearing their footed pajamas:
Ryan Gosling says that his goal is "to make them popular so I can wear them out and not feel like a fool".
Do you think that footed pajamas will become popular? Find out more about footed pajamas.
Ryan Gosling says that his goal is "to make them popular so I can wear them out and not feel like a fool".
Do you think that footed pajamas will become popular? Find out more about footed pajamas.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sexy Footed Pajamas Advertisement
I just discovered a very sexy footed pajamas advertisement in Youtube. This footed pajamas ad features three girls having a pillow fight and with a bubble machine creating atmosphere. Naturally one of the girls is wearing dropseat footed pajamas (you know the kind with the butt flap).
This has got to be the sexiest footed pajamas advertisement I have seen:
What makes it interesting, is that I have never seen this approach to marketing footed pajamas. Fun, yes, warm, absolutely. But sexy? What do you think? Can footed pajamas be sexy?
This has got to be the sexiest footed pajamas advertisement I have seen:
What makes it interesting, is that I have never seen this approach to marketing footed pajamas. Fun, yes, warm, absolutely. But sexy? What do you think? Can footed pajamas be sexy?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
New Footed Pajamas for Adults Site Launched!
I often see questions about footed pajamas for adults, for example:
* Where can I buy footed pajamas for adults?
* Are adult footed pajamas available in plus size?
* Where can I find adult footies with a drop seat?
* How can I find turn footed pajamas for adults into a costume for halloween (such a superman or batman costume etc).
So, I decided to create a lighthearted and fun website which answers some of these common questions about footed pajamas for adults.
* Where can I buy footed pajamas for adults?
* Are adult footed pajamas available in plus size?
* Where can I find adult footies with a drop seat?
* How can I find turn footed pajamas for adults into a costume for halloween (such a superman or batman costume etc).
So, I decided to create a lighthearted and fun website which answers some of these common questions about footed pajamas for adults.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Design Your Logos for FREE!
If you build websites than you will probably need a logo for your website. Yes, you can have logos made professionally. But did you know that you can also design professioal looking logos yourself for free?I found a great logo maker and used it to create a logo for the Footed Pajamas Website. This is not the only free logo maker, but I believe it is one of the best. Some logo makers claim to be free logo makers and after you have designed them (for free), they charge you to download them! Now what is the point of designing a free logo if you have to pay to download it?
Read this lens about using the free logo maker to create and download logos absolutely free.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thoughts Of A 2011 Squid Angel
My term as a Squid Angel began a couple of weeks ago and like so many other Squid Angels before me, I have kept a log and created a lense documenting my Thoughts Of A 2011 Squid Angel.
Being a Squid Angel has been alot different than I had imagined it to be. It has been interesting, but it has also been very, very time consuming and at times a bit disappointing. Find out why on my lens documenting my experience as a Squid Angel.
Being a Squid Angel has been alot different than I had imagined it to be. It has been interesting, but it has also been very, very time consuming and at times a bit disappointing. Find out why on my lens documenting my experience as a Squid Angel.
Friday, January 28, 2011
How To Make Your Squidoo Lens SEXY!
You know those boxes that you see in Squidoo lenses that make the lense really stand out?
There is often a border around the text and the text has some cool fount styles or colors? Seems like it would be alot of work to make it look so cool, right? Wrong! I found a FREE online tool that does it for you. I used it to create this post, simply by typing my text into a box and selecting from various style options.
The best part is that you can see how it will look right on the website. You can change your styles and see the result before you get the final code. This is a cool tool that I will be using to create all of my lenses in the future. Check out this CSS code generator for text.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Coming Soon: The Tankini Website
Today I stumbled upon a Godaddy Promotional Code offering .com domain names for only $1.49. All you have to do is use the promo code winter149 during the check out.
Since I already have hosting accounts at two hosts, Bravenet and Weebly, which offer hosting of up to 10 domain names at no extra charge, this means I can build the next website for only the cost of the domain name. With this GoDaddy Promo code, that means I can build an entire website, with a custom domain for the bargain price of $1.49!
For years, I have had a Squidoo Site dedicated to the Tankini which has generated some modest income and traffic. So, I have gone ahead and bought a tankini related domain name and will soon be building it up in time for the 2011 swimwear season.
I will make an announcement here when the new website is open to the public.
Since I already have hosting accounts at two hosts, Bravenet and Weebly, which offer hosting of up to 10 domain names at no extra charge, this means I can build the next website for only the cost of the domain name. With this GoDaddy Promo code, that means I can build an entire website, with a custom domain for the bargain price of $1.49!
For years, I have had a Squidoo Site dedicated to the Tankini which has generated some modest income and traffic. So, I have gone ahead and bought a tankini related domain name and will soon be building it up in time for the 2011 swimwear season.
I will make an announcement here when the new website is open to the public.
I Reached Squidoo Level 50
I just achieved level 50 today in my Squidoo profile! Quite an achievement. But I noticed two negative things:
* First, while every other major level comes with a new item, from a SquidAd to a Lens Boost, so far there is no new item deposited in my dashboard. :(
* Second, while up until now, I could achieve the next level with 1'000 points, I see that I need 4'000 points to achieve level 51. OUCH!
Anyway, this leveling thing is kind of fun, doncha think?
* First, while every other major level comes with a new item, from a SquidAd to a Lens Boost, so far there is no new item deposited in my dashboard. :(
* Second, while up until now, I could achieve the next level with 1'000 points, I see that I need 4'000 points to achieve level 51. OUCH!
Anyway, this leveling thing is kind of fun, doncha think?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Dangers of Texting..caught on VIDEO!
We all know that it is dangerous to text while driving. But many, many people do it anyway. But we rarely get a chance to see WHY it is dangerous to text while doing something else that requires concentration, such as driving....or WALKING. Have a look at Cathy Cruz Marrero, a mall employee who is texting and walking in at Berkshire Mall:
Now according to reports Cathy Cruz Marrero works at Berkshire Mall, so she certainly should know that the fountain is there. However, while distracted she takes a bath in it. What is the next thing she does? What 90% of Americans do whenever they do something stupid. She SUES! Why is she sueing? Not because she fell into the fountain. But because a security guard released the video of her afternoon dip.
But this may not be the only reason. According to Fox News:
In another interview She says "It's funny, but you need to see the serious side of it," she said. "What if it was a senior citizen? Would it be funny then?"
Answer: Yes, it is funny to see someone bellyflop. That is why slapstick humor used to be so popular. Silly falls and dips like this still are popular. There TV shows based on humor such as "America's Funniest Home Videos". It is human nature to laugh at our own stupidity. Somewhat cruel human nature perhaps, but which one of us do not do it?
What is the lesson here? Obviously, texting requires more attention than you can imagine. And it is stupid to text while in motion. But the other lesson is that if you actually do something dumb like this just laugh at yourself and accept the fact that you are human and make mistakes. To get angry and sue just makes you look even stupider.
Would it be cruel to admit that I hope that this woman takes another bath?
Now according to reports Cathy Cruz Marrero works at Berkshire Mall, so she certainly should know that the fountain is there. However, while distracted she takes a bath in it. What is the next thing she does? What 90% of Americans do whenever they do something stupid. She SUES! Why is she sueing? Not because she fell into the fountain. But because a security guard released the video of her afternoon dip.
But this may not be the only reason. According to Fox News:
Assistant District Attorney Melissa J. Noyes says falling in a fountain wasn't Marrero's first mistake. The born again Christian currently owes $4,177 in restitution for charges she allegedly made to a co-worker's credit cards, Noyes told the Eagle..
"She is still on track to enter a guilty plea at some point down the road assuming she complies with all the conditions," Noyes said. "She's looking for house arrest instead of going to jail."
Marrero also has several theft cases and a hit-and-run charge on her record, the paper reported.
In another interview She says "It's funny, but you need to see the serious side of it," she said. "What if it was a senior citizen? Would it be funny then?"
Answer: Yes, it is funny to see someone bellyflop. That is why slapstick humor used to be so popular. Silly falls and dips like this still are popular. There TV shows based on humor such as "America's Funniest Home Videos". It is human nature to laugh at our own stupidity. Somewhat cruel human nature perhaps, but which one of us do not do it?
What is the lesson here? Obviously, texting requires more attention than you can imagine. And it is stupid to text while in motion. But the other lesson is that if you actually do something dumb like this just laugh at yourself and accept the fact that you are human and make mistakes. To get angry and sue just makes you look even stupider.
Would it be cruel to admit that I hope that this woman takes another bath?
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