A Simple Game of Tag

Linky Linky Tag
This one is easy I was tagged by: Michelle for this one. It's been a while since I played a "Simple Game of Tag."

The rule: When you get tagged, you have to add your name next to the person who tagged you and and add your site at the bottom of the list. By doing this you are letting the list grow. Then tag 5 others and let's see how big this can get?
Limadang.com
RamblingMoo.com
blogginginmypyjamasStylewithPassion
ChinneeqDora-zooropazoo
Babyshern
HiPnCooLMoMMa
Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts
When Silence Speaks
Dancing in Midlife TuneUnderneath itAll
I am DzoiHobbies and Suchmoms.....check nyo
Choc Mint Girl
Amel's Realm
My Thoughts
Rusin Roundup
MondayMorningPower
Mariuca
Comedy Plus
A Nice Place in the Sun
Max
Sarge Charlie
Baba Doodlius


My tags are:
Sandee
Ann
Max
Sarge Charlie
Baba

How Does It Feel To Be Old?

I do not know who the author of this piece is, but I just had to bring it to you..........

"The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long. I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. I will. I will walk the pool in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the water with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from others. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved cat gets killed by some vecious dogs? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (If I feel like it.)

And this is the way I REALLY feel.................alive."



Technorati Tags:
Feeling old old How does it feel to be old getting old

75 ways to increase your site’s traffic

This article is originally published in Superbloggingtips. You can find other similar articles in http://superbloggingtips.com/. I found it very helpful for all bloggers, so I reprinted it. It is the very long version of my 14 Rules. This is structured more for the advanced blogger. Personally, I do not agree with all of the rules, however, you have to make your own decision.

If you’re a normal blogger or website owner, you’re going to want more traffic. You might even search all over the web for great ways to generate or increase your traffic. I have compiled a list of 75 ways to increase your site’s traffic. This list is different from others because it contains simple, original ideas and off-the-wall, unique ideas. If you’re looking for more people to see your website or your blog, then you’re at the right article! Out of all these 75 tips, I can assure you that most of them will work for your site or blog.

1. Write more content. If you want traffic, you’ve got to write content. People will not visit your site if you don’t write a decent amount of good quality content, and new visitors definitely won’t come back. So keep writing great posts!
2. Have a good design and layout. If your site or blog’s design is messy, sloppy, hard to navigate, a rainbow of colors that don’t match or are hard on the eye, or full of errors, you will instantly go down the drain.
3. Get your own domain. I promise that if you have your domain, you will get more traffic. You will linked to more and people will more easily remember your URL. Try to get your own domain and have it from the start.
4. Start using StumbleUpon. I have had a HUGE success with StumbleUpon. When the right article from your blog meets StumbleUpon, expect a lot of people to rate your post a thumbs up, and then even more people "stumbling upon" your blog.
5. Guest blog. Offer to write a post on someone else’s site. Even better, have the post already written up and then let the blogger know you have a post ready to guest blog on their site, if it’s okay with them. When you write your guest blog post, find a post on your own blog that’s related and link to in your guest blog post. A link for you on their blog, and more traffic.
6. Begin tagging your images. When you have an image in your post, it should always be tagged properly. Make sure the width and height are clearly defined. But most importantly, fill out the alt and title tags with the image’s keywords. To learn further and learn how this helps, click here.
7. Respond to your comments and email. People love a blog whose owner is interactive and thoughtful, an owner who gets back quickly with response to their comments and emails. If you can do this, except more loyal readers who will love you. Then expect more traffic and more linkage.
8. Use MyBlogLog. Make sure you have an eye-catching avatar. Then join all the MyBlogLog communities you can (daily limit of 15). In no time your avatar will be all over all the MyBlogLog blog and community pages, and you’ll see more and more visitors coming to you.
9. Don’t waste your time. Don’t waste your time with crazy "money earners" such as those that pay you to click, pay you to read, pay you to surf, pay you to search, or anything like that. Those aren’t worth anything. Instead, spend your time writing quality content and the traffic will follow.
10. Pay attention to your stats. Pay attention to your stats and Google Analytics. See what keywords are getting you the most traffic and what posts your readers like and don’t like. Use this knowledge to keep writing more popular posts filled with great keywords.
11. Link to other posts. When you link to posts on other blogs, that creates a trackback, or pingback. When you link to another blogger’s post, if they have trackbacks turned on, you will receive a link back as well in the comments section of the post of which you linked.
12. In your posts, ask your readers questions. Readers like to feel important and a lot of them like to talk. The next time you write a post, ask them a question or their opinion on something. You’ll receive a lot more comments and many of the visitors will be more likely to come back.
13. Make a lens on Squidoo. On Squidoo, you can make your own lenses, aka, pages, on their site. Make a lens that is relative to your blog or site’s topic, and then be sure to link to your blog on the lens! Did I mention you can also make money on Squidoo? Click here to read more.
14. Comment on other blogs. When you comment on other blog’s 99.9% of the time there is a box you can write in your own site’s address. Then from there, when people view your comment, they can click through to your blog or website! Comment on as many different blog’s as you can. Maybe even set aside a day of the week for commenting. The more comments you leave, the more you are noticed, and the more traffic you get.
15. Write list posts. Everybody loves list posts. This post is a list post. Examples are "Top 10 Blog Themes", "25 Uses for Vinegar", and "5 Helpful Website Tools". List posts are usually linked to a lot more and get a lot more traffic than normal posts.
16. Submit your blog to search engines. Most people get the majority of their traffic from search engines. When people search for your keyword and find your site or blog, there’s more traffic! Click here to submit your blog to be indexed in Google if it hasn’t been already, and remember to keep writing fresh content for the engines to chew on!
17. Establish relationships with fellow bloggers. Develop relationships with all kinds of bloggers, especially those also in your niche. Comment on their blogs, have conversations, link to them, make friendships. And before you know it, they’ll be linking to you too and maybe sending some traffic your way.
18. Use traffic exchanges. I’m not quite sure if you can be penalized for using traffic exchanges, but they can bring you loyal readers if your blog is good enough, besides the continuous traffic. See my post on the BlogMad traffic exchange.
19. Link to your other posts as often as you can. Link internally to posts on your own blog. This helps your rankings and also helps your traffic. If people who come to your your blog have nothing else to see, they will leave. When you link to your other articles, they will most likely choose to go read those as well before leaving, and will stay on your blog longer.
20. Sign up on Yahoo! Answers. On Yahoo! Answers you are able to answer other people’s questions, help them, and give answers. There is a box where you can write the source of where you got your answer. Answer questions in your field and link to your blog posts as the source!
21. Sign your blog up on blog top lists. A blog top list is a chart of all the blogs that are in it. The list is numbered and your blog can go higher on the list when it has more traffic, more votes, more incoming visitors, etc. They’re very simple and easy to join. Plus, they can rake in the traffic! Click here to see some top lists you can join and learn more.
22. Submit to site directories. Some directories list hundreds of sites, some list thousands. The backlinks are great, but the traffic from the directories will be less than a trickle, most likely nothing. However, submit with your site’s name using your keywords, and then you could be ranked more highly on Google for those keywords, which means more traffic!
23. Don’t use link trains. This does not directly related to traffic but it’s still good advice. I made the mistake of joining in on the ViraLink and ViralTags, and you should never do that! Besides, your readers will appreciate it and they’ll stick around longer.
24. Reread, edit, and go over your posts. No one wants to link to a post that is poor quality. Even if the post is a brilliant idea, if it’s full of spelling and grammatical errors, it won’t be linked to. And no links means no traffic.
25. Submit your posts to blog carnivals. Go to the Blog Carnival website and submit as many of your articles to as many carnivals related to your niche as you can. When the carnival edition you submitted to is posted, not only will you have linkbacks, but you’ll have more visits to your blog. If you don’t understand what a blog carnival is, read about it here.
26. Hold your own blog carnival. I think blog carnivals are very fun to hold. People submit their articles to your carnival. When you publish your carnival, almost all of those people go to the carnival edition to view their link there. And you carnival can also be featured on the Blog Carnival website homepage.
27. Link exchange with other people in your field. Whether the link exchange is on a sidebar on every page of the site, on one page of the site, or in a post on the site, it’s up to you. But link exchanging with others who have related blogs can be a big help. And when their sites grow, an even bigger help!
28. Use Feedburner for people to subscribe to your blog. When people subscribe to you via RSS or get your blog updates in email, they’ll see your posts whenever you make a new one. This is vital for keeping people in touch with your blog and getting them to come back.
29. Use Youtube. Make an account on Youtube, and then on your profile you can list your website address. List your site or blog’s link there. Then start making videos and when people view your profile, some of them might click through to your website!
30. Ask the bigger blogs for a link.I can’t stress enough that you’ve got to do this right or not at all. You need to be polite and not beg. Start building your conversation with the A-lister and developing the relationship before you ask for anything. Make sure you give to them, link to them in your posts. Before you do anything, read Kumiko’s post on this. I know if I got such a polite email as this instead of a begging spammer, I would have to say yes. And if you do get your link, not only will this help your page rank, but you should get a very decent amount of traffic.
31. Use Technorati tags. Getting into more categories in Technorati will get you a lot more exposure, which means more traffic. If you don’t know what Technorati tags are, read Court’s post.
32. Write a post about a celebrity. No matter what your niche is, you can find some way to relate your topic to a celebrity. For example, 6 Lessons Britney Spears Can Teach You About Blogging. People search for celebrities all the time and love the dirt on them. Quadruple your traffic when you right a post about a celebrity right after a big event in the celebrity’s life. For example, the shaving of their head, the birth of their child, their marriage, or their death, to name a few.
33. Encourage others to Digg your articles. Digg is a site that lets people vote on articles, on whether people like them or not. Your blogger friends will most likely Digg your work for you if you politely ask, or even better, add a Digg button at the bottom of all your posts. Make sure your best articles get Dugg and started in the right direction, and if the post is good enough, it can generate thousands of visitors a day.
34. Get a plugin for the social bookmarking sites. At the bottom of this post you will see a line of buttons that lets people submit and vote my articles to social bookmarking sites (Digg, Reddit, Netscape, and others included). I’m using the AntiSocial plugin. If you have this plugin implemented you are WAY more likely to be submitted to social bookmarking sites, which in turn means a lot more traffic.
35. Link to the A-listers. This ties in a little with asking the A-listers for a link, or sort of pushing them in the direction of giving you one, but this is much for subtle and much more nice. The more you link to the A-listers and probloggers in your niche, the more they will probably notice you. Then they might link to one of your posts as well, which could send huge amounts of traffic your way!
36. Write a pillar post. This is not only a list post, but a pillar post as well. It is written in hopes of becoming one of the top post’s for this blog. This post is a long, authoritative, instructional post. Pillar posts should take a long time, hours, to write. You should link to your pillar posts often in your blog, and make sure they get top exposure. Pillar posts will get linked to and receive decent amounts of traffic.
37. When a major holiday rolls around, write about it. When Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another big holiday comes, make a post about it a month beforehand. Give yourself time to be indexed and linked to. When the holiday comes, it will be searched for a lot and your site could be found!
38. Use smart URLs on Wordpress. If you’re using Wordpress and are using their messy URLs, you’d better get this plugin to switch to the URLs that include the date and post name in the link. Using that plugin will not make you lose your search engine stats or anything, it is a redirect.
39. Make your readers feel at home. If you are rude, never give back, don’t answer your comments or emails, don’t help other bloggers, or are always uptight and don’t make your readers feel at home, chances are they might stop visiting your blog. When you make your readers feel at home, you get more traffic.
40. Be a human, not a robot. If in all your posts you sound extremely business-like, never mention yourself, only talk about the same thing all the time, or are 100% perfect, it could actually send people away. I’m not telling you to be sloppy, talk about yourself all the time, stray from your topic, or make a lot of mistakes. But let your readers know you’re like them too and that you have some things in common. Don’t make your site be boring.
41. Take the ads off your site. To increase your traffic remove your ads. When you have no way of making money on your website, you seem a lot more serious and devoted. Most likely you will get more traffic and loyal readers. And then maybe in the future, you can ad the ads again to start making some money!
42. Start your own blog directory. This is something I tried once but failed at miserably. However, I’m sure if I tried again I could do it right, and you could too! When you make your directory at first, make all the links completely free and just have a link submit form where the submissions are emailed to you. You can do a weekly/daily roundup of all the links sent to you, or you can assign the links to their proper categories. When your site gets even bigger, you can ask for a reciprocal link. Then have a "featured site" table, and link to your main website in it. I’m not sure how this would work for everyone but it’s worth a shot.
43. Post about A-listers in your field. For me this would be people like Darren Rowse and John Chow. You can write about them as a person or a blogger or you can write about how they’re running and doing things. You can post your thoughts on something they’ve said or extend on one of their posts and then leave a comment saying you’ve done so.
44. Interview other bloggers. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but never got around to. Interviews of other bloggers usually generate a few links, including a link from the blogger you interviewed. And links mean traffic!
45. Write link love posts. I try to write link love posts every couple of weeks where it is just one big post linking to articles in the blogosphere or on the web that I like, mostly ones related to my niche. Not only does this get you trackbacks, but it also gives you the higher chance of getting linked to in return, which then means traffic.
46. Have a contest or giveaway! This is a great idea. Hold a contest or a giveaway for a very awesome prize, and people will flock to your site in hopes of winning it. If you give away something really cool, the news will spread like wildfire. Beforehand though, make sure your blog is already receiving a fairly decent amount of traffic with some loyal readers.
47. Pretend to sell your blog. This is something you can do to get traffic but I do NOT recommend it. This idea has sprung up lately but in my opinion it’s not a good one. You can pay forty dollars to list your blog in a marketplace, and get a huge spike of traffic from potential buyers. Then, you take down the offer and keep your blog. NONE of that traffic will ever come back. It’s not targeted and it is a waste of money. But if you want to get traffic this way, go for it.
48. Be a comedian. Make people laugh. For a lot of you out there, this shouldn’t be hard. When you make people laugh they will feel a connection to your site or blog and want to tell others and come back.
49. Help bloggers that need you. If a beginner, newbie blogger leaves you a comment or email that is at least polite, don’t brush them off because of their lack of experience. Help them! You never know, they could become big one day and remember your kindness and assistance.
50. Have polls on your blog. If you’re using Wordpress, get the Wordpress polls plugin. People like voting in polls and like seeing what the outcome of a poll was. Polls are popular, and popular means traffic.
51. Start more blogs. Think you can handle it? They can be free blogs, or they can have their own domain. Whatever you want. Work on traffic for all of your blogs, and then have all your blogs link to each other (especially the smaller blogs linking to your main one). Then whoever reads one of your blogs can also be introduced to the other ones.
52. Create or hack a Wordpress plugin. Okay, this one might be for the smart computer geeks out there, because I couldn’t do it. But if you can, then expect to get lots of links and traffic from all over the place from all the people that use your plugin.
53. Create a blog theme (Wordpress, Blogspot, whatever). Same goes as for creating a plugin. I could probably do this one more easily than I could make a plugin, though. If you think you can, give it a shot! The traffic will pour in, as will the links.
54. Make graphics that are useful to others. If you make some free graphics people can use on their website or blog, you’ll get more traffic from this as well, and it’s not nearly as hard. If you’re a professional at making graphics, even try charging a little bit to get money on top of it!
55. Make graphics for social networking sites as well. People who use Myspace, Facebook, and all those types of sites love using graphics. Colorful banners. Animated, blinking images. If you can make awesome things like that, then they’ll use it. It’s worth a shot for some traffic and links.
56. Make a Myspace and get a lot of friends. Make a Myspace and work on getting a lot of friends. This doesn’t mean adding the bands or celebrities that automatically accept you. This means the real people. Just go around adding people. Go to "Browse" and add people. Once you have hundreds of friends, link to your site or blog in bulletins and on your profile and everywhere you can. It could draw in some traffic if you do it correctly.
57. Answer questions you get through comments or email in a post. If someone comments or emails you with a question, and you could give them a very long, drawn out answer, write a post instead. You won’t be wasting your time and then to answer that person, just give them a link to the post you’ve written!
58. Work on search engine optimization. The better you rank and do in the search engines, the more visitors they will send you. Do your research and homework on search engine optimization and get started right away!
59. Start an awards series. Spend some time making a little trophy or banner for an award. Make sure your award has a theme and a name, for example, "The Kind Blogger Award". Then link to five kind bloggers. In the rules, get each of them to link and pass the award to five more bloggers that they think are kind. Many will link back to you as the creator of this award series and you will receive traffic for it.
60. Buy ads using Google Adwords. Something I haven’t done but might prove very helpful if you’ve got the money. Sign up for Google Adwords and buy advertising. People will click on ads and get to your site. Some could become loyal readers but many will not. A good way of getting traffic.
61. Order reviews through ReviewMe. If you order reviews on other blogs using ReviewMe or even PayPerPost, you can create a buzz on your site or blog. Reviews are probably the best form of advertising and the best way to get more loyal visitors.
62. Use ReviewBack to get reviewed for free. Most likely your free reviews will be on small blogs, and you also have to return the favor, but you could still get some nice traffic from it. Something to consider. Check out ReviewBack.
63. Write a press release. Click here to read how and what to do.
64. Get on the most favorited list on Technorati. The Technorati top 100 favorited list can be viewed here. It will be very hard to get on to and require a few hundred favorites (a few thousand if you want to be at the top of the list). But you will surely get a lot of traffic if you make it on this list.
65. Join forums and message boards. Join forums and message boards related to niche. If it is permitted, link to your site or blog when/where you can. Other people on the forum are very likely to check out your site.
66. Add your link to your forum signature. Another idea, but also only if this one is permitted. Add your site or blog’s link to your forum signature and get active in the community. The link will show up under all of your posts. You can get a nice little amount of traffic if the forum has a lot of members.
67. Write catchy post titles with keywords. First of all, posts with catchy titles receive more traffic than those with bland, unoriginal titles. Secondly, add some keywords to your catchy titles! You will get ranked better in the search engines. Also, when people link to your post with its keywords, you’ll get ranked even better, with even more traffic from Google, Yahoo, etc.
68. Use images in your posts. This is something I need to work on more. Use images in your posts. When a post is full of just text, it can get boring. However, (and this depends on your niche), I would recommend using only one image. You don’t want to get too cluttered.
69. Write a review. If you write a really good honest review of a new product or brand, it could get a lot of attention from people who are interested in purchasing the product.
70. On high traffic days, write more great quality posts. Let’s say you’ve just written a linkbait (on purpose or by accident) that hit the front page of Digg or did awesome StumbleUpon. That same day and the next couple of days, post more great content. Let the people who’ve came across your site know they should stick around because of your quality content. Keep the traffic going!
71. Post about important events in your niche. If something important is going to happen in your niche, post about it a couple months, one month, or a few weeks before it happens. Give yourself time to be linked to and indexed by the search engines for that post. When the event rolls around, you will get a lot of traffic if you played your cards right!
72. Share one of your secrets. Whether it be a huge secret about your success or a personal secret about your life, nobody can resist.
73. Do something unique. Build a brand and do something original that no one else has done. You will receive a lot of links and traffic for it and the name will stick around for a long time, if not forever. Come up with a new concept that no one else has done before.
74. Keep improving your blog. People will keep coming back to a blog or site that is constantly worked on and improved. Set aside daily time to plow down and tweak your blog. Also try to write that daily content.
75. Be yourself. The internet is a great place to be anonymous, but if you are, no one will feel a connection to you and want to keep visiting your blog. Just be yourself, don’t pretend to be someone you’re not, and people will love you for it. I promise.

source:http://superbloggingtips.com/2007/07/75-ways-to-increase-your-sites-traffic/



Technorati Tags:
increase traffic Increase site traffic increase blog traffic

The Proudest Moment of my Life

I was tagged by Max to state the proudest moment of my life. I have been sitting on this for a couple of weeks now; not being able to complete it. I just realized why....I can't come up with a single answer; I have so may proud moments. Therefor I am going to invoke an author's creative prerogative and state the proudest moments of my life, in chronological order order.

• The day I graduated college (there were times that I had my doubts that I would make it.)
  
• The day I got married "she actually said "yes!"
  
• Each of the days my three kids were born. (I was there on all three occasions, and in the delivery room for two.)
  
• Each time my oldest scored a basket in High School Basketball games.
• When my middle boy received scholastic awards; there were many.
  
• Each of the days my three kids graduated high school.
• The days my two oldest boys graduated college (San Diego State and Berkley.)
• My daughter is scheduled to graduate college in June of 08 which will mean that each of my three kids will have graduated in 4 years......I an VERY proud of that feat.
  
• The day my oldest graduated from the ROTC and became a Lt. in the army and what his commanding officer said about his character.
• The day my oldest graduated from Ranger Training from Fort Benning, GA and a number of the other graduates came over to him and said "thank your for helping me. Without your help I wouldn't have made it through the training."
• The day my oldest left for his first tour of duty in Iraq (also the scariest day of my life.)
• The day my middle child, apparently, became the youngest person to be made Senior Publicist. (He works at a major publishing house in NY.)
• Each and every day any of my kids walks though my front door.
• Whenever any of my kid's friends speak of them; always complimentary.
• My daughter goes to San Francisco State University, a very liberal school. She has maintained her own views in spite of what the teachers of school has to say. I am very proud of that fact. She remains her own person.
  

My oldest is Garrett, my middle is Matt, and my youngest is Stephanie.

I do believe that I have many proud moments left in my life........MANY!

November Blessings

It's that time of the month again for me to publicly acknowledge the wonderful gifts that were bestowed upon me during the previous month. To everyone below, with humility, I graciously accept these awards and will treasure them always. Thank you all!

"Brad the Blogbee" was awarded to me by Ann of "A Nice Place in the Sun" on 11/29/07

Presented to me by Daszzle of Something To Smile About on 11/25/07

Presented to me by Judy at Sugar Queen's Dreams on 11/17/07

Planted on me by Sandee of "Comedy Plus" on 11/17/07

Awarded to my by Sindi of My Life is a Roller Coaster on 11/17/07

Awarded to me by Amelia of "Amel's Realm" on 11/17/07

Given to me by Max of "Max" on 11/17/07

Awarded to me by Colin over at Life on 11/16/07

Presented to me by Jackie of The Painted Veil on 11/11/07

Presented to me by Jackie of The Painted Veil on 11/15/07

Presented to me by Marja of DUTCHCORNER on 11/13/07

Awarded to me by Ann of "A Nice Place in the Sun" on 11/13/07

Given to me by Ann of "A Nice Place in the Sun" on 11/13/07

Awarded to me by The Little Aussie Cynic on 11/13/07

Awarded to me by Sandee of "Comedy Plus" on 11/12/07

Given to me by Ann of "A Nice Place in the Sun" on 11/12/07

Awarded to me by Sandee of "Comedy Plus" on 11/11/07

Awarded to me by Sandee of "Comedy Plus" on 11/11/07

Awarded to me by Amelia of "Amel's Realm" on 11/11/07

Presented to me by Jackie of The Painted Veil on 11/11/07

Awarded to me by Amelia of "Amel's Realm" on 11/8/07

I have just been awarded this Beautiful Site award from Judy at Sugar Queen's Dreams on 11/2/07

Are You Prepared For Success? (Section III - Installment #1 "It's Not My Fault, I Used To Say” – Male & Female versions)

(If this is your first time on this site, you may want to begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

Please read the Section II male version, or female version, of this poem first; then read this version.

It's Not My Fault, I Used To Say

It's not my fault, I used say
The reason I'm the person I am today.
It's not my fault, if I was abused.
It's in the past, I'm no longer confused.

The government's not taking away my rights.
Worrying about hate groups no longer keeps me up nights.
All those gangs roaming the streets, it is a crime.
My kids need my love, they need my time.

I will make time for me.
Oh, dear heaven, did you hear how I used to plea?
I'm in control, I no longer sing the blues.
I now choose not to watch the nightly news.

The use of drugs, was not the cause,
I've fixed my personality and all my flaws.
That's not the one. Japan's not to blame.
Playing the victim is no longer my game.

They closed down the factory; a temporary cloud,
Whatever my name, I will wear it proud.
Space aliens do not control my brain.
I'll do it, even it it's going to rain.

The radical left and the radical right
Have no control over whether or not I fight.
Go back to school? I'm never too old.
I will never again be left out in the cold.

If I'm in a dead-end job I'll just get out.
"I can help myself", I just want to shout.
I will get the things that I need.
I know the way to succeed.

Not everyone can be a super star.
I'll find a way to travel both near and far.
Off to see distant lands;
Anything's possible, I'll start making plans.

I'll find the people who really care,
Life does not have to be so unfair.
I no longer fear failure so I will succeed,
I'll follow no one when I can lead.

I do not feel shackled, imprisoned, condemned;
I don't need a savior and I'll find a friend.
‘But, it's not my fault’, I'll never again say;
I will deal with the way things are today.

This is how I feel, with complete control.
Being a victim can sure take its toll.
I won't feel drained at the end of the day.
Not being a victim is the only way.

What a nice feeling it is to be
Taking complete responsibility;
Not for what happens to me, but for the fact
That I can control the way I react.

I look at things differently, though;
I know the limits of what I control;
I understand that no one controls how I feel.
I will determine what's false and what's real.

(An Original Poem by Mel Kaye)

I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.

• Refer back to the "Section (II)" "Comments" and write how you will never allow yourself to feel like a victim again.
• How does this make you feel?

Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Go to Section III (Installment #2)

Technorati Tag: it's not my fault

Idiot Sightings

Be careful...be v-e-r-y careful.

The following are sightings by different people:

IDIOT SIGHTING: My husband and I had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a "large" enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, "Lady, you need a 1/4horsepower." I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, "NO,it's not. Four is larger than two." We haven't used Sears repair since.

_____________________________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: I live in a semi-rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: "Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore."
From Kingman , KS

______________________________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."
Happened in Birmingham, Ala.

______________________________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!"

She was a probation officer in Wichita , KS

______________________________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker: She was leaving the company due to "downsizing." Our manager commented cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often." Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.
This was a bunch at Texas Instruments.

______________________________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself, and for the sake of her own life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.
A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriff's office, no less.

______________________________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it wasunlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "Its open!" His reply,"I know - I already got that side."

This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, Mississippi!

______________________________________________________

STAY ALERT!

They walk among us. They REPRODUCE!

Technorati Tag: idiot

7 Random/Weird Facts About me

Tagged by Diamondssaphire of Nonsense, fun, tears, happiness & anger all rolled into one! for 7 Random Facts and tagged by Petula of It's a Woman's World for 7 weird Things About Me. So I thought that I would combine the two into one.

1. I went completely bald at age 25.
2. My wife and I sleep with three Dachshunds in our bed
3. I have three grown kids, 2 boys and a girl. We have three Dachshunds, 2 boys and a girl.....I know, we have issues.
   
4. Blogging, to me is like living a fantasy. My wife is a teacher and I always envied her ability to shape lives. Now, with blogging I get to experience some of what she does. What I say is read by many and I am shaping some lives. With this comes a responsibility that I take very seriously. I am living my fantasy.
   
5. My step dad is 91, blind in one eye and is on his second year of a 5 year driver's license, which scares me to death.
   
6. I work at home, which I absolutely love.
   
7. I believe that blogging, next to my family, is the most important thing that I do.
   

I will not be tagging anyone on this meme. However, if you would like to take this on, please do.



Technorati Tags:
7 random things 7 weird things

Technorati's Top 10,000

I feel kind of funny about this, but what the heck; a little self-congratulations never hurt anyone. I have been blogging for only 6 months and have made it to Technorati's top 10,000. It feels damn good and I am proud of it. This is a celebration of a goal reached.

I have many goals, the most important of which is reaching people with what I have to say. I feel that this Technorati achievement is a measure of sorts that I am reaching people.

Section III - Introduction

(If this is your first time on this site, please begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

In "Section III" the poems have changed so that you will no longer be using second and third person words ("you", "your", "he", "she", "them"); you will be using first person words ("I" & "me"). The other major change is in the verb "can". You will now be using "will", a more definite action than "can." These are some of the subtle yet critical changes that will give you ownership of the positive messages.

You can use the “Comments” section at the end of each post to write your feelings. You can identify yourself or you can remain anonymous. By doing it this way you may also help others. That decision is completely up to you.

Be sure to use the "Empowerment Triad" of PASSION, PLEASURE & REPETITION whenever you read the poems. This is what will drive the messages into your mind and help facilitate the desired changes.

You may want to re-read all of the poems in Section II (the number of time depends on how ready you are to adopt the messages), before you begin this Section. You may also want to reread each Section II poem before reading the section II poem. There will be a link back to the Section II poem in each post.

Negative attitudes are not allowed in "Section III". Your comments will reflect Positive attitudes only!

You need to continue being an active participant.

I must again emphasize that you use the appropriate version (male or female.) I will post each one in a separate post and label each one as Male or Female.

By Mel Kaye
Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Go to Section II (Installment #1)

New Turkey Recipe

Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!!
You should try this!
Sure to bring smiles from your guests!
Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey.

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully. (see attached picture for details)
3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
4. Watch your guests' faces...

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Technorati Tags:
new turkey recipe turkey recipe

Cats in a CD Store

After my last post, I figured it was time for something on the lighter side:

Cat listening to Barry White

Cat listening to Bluegrass

Cat listening to Stevie Wonder

Cats listening to Heavy Metal

Cat listening to Rap

Cat listening to Techno (on ecstasy)

Technorati Tags:
cats in a CD store cats

"Blogger Burn-Out"

Recently, I have seen a number of prominent bloggers take an extended break or even quit blogging altogether. Some of their comments are: “I just put so much pressure on myself to visit, read and comment on hundreds of blogs per day. I cannot do that anymore,” and “I am simply worn out and burnt out. I am not finding any joy in the process any longer. It has become a chore for me to even think about preparing a post. I am just tired.” I won't mention any names because I do not want to make this about them personally. However, I think that we all know someone who has taken this road.

A common theme seems to be a self imposed pressure to do too much; to reply to every comment, to visit every commenter’s blog, to have to give out every award we are presented as soon as it's presented, to complete every meme that we are tagged with, to feel like we are letting our readers down if we go a day without posting, to feel we have to visit every site that is on our blogroll every week, to feel guilty if we truly have nothing to say, and it goes on. The worst is the feeling that we are disappointing our friends.

Too much self-imposed pressure can do terrible things to us; it can rob us of our passion and steal way the fun. What makes blogging worthwhile is the passion and the fun.

One of the issues that we face, I believe, is that as a group we all have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) tendencies and blogging exacerbates these. We put far too much pressure on ourselves to perform (guys, does that sound familiar?) And what happens to performance when pressure enters the equation?

Sometimes it's OK to just say that "I have nothing to say today." We will understand. What I don't like to see is the "all or nothing" response to impending "Blogger burn-out." The "all" is the prelude to the "nothing." "All" meaning that we succumb to the pressure and try to do it "all" and that leads to the “burn-out” and possible "break down." "Nothing" meaning we quit; we give up. The end result is the same.

We try to please everybody, and in so doing we lose the sense of who we are. If the blogesphere is not the place to be ourselves, then we have no place.

Personally, I love getting awards. It must be my deprived childhood (LOL.) What I did not like was the pressure to have to turn around and give them out immediately upon acceptance. So I adopted a policy of graciously accepting them into an archived file with acknowledgment and of course a link back. At the end of the month I bring all of the awards for that month to a new post acknowledging that months "blessings." When I am ready, or it feels appropriate, I will give them out. This has alleviated a ton of pressure off of me. As my friends know, when I give out an award it comes from the heart, and not from the pressure.

When it comes to memes, I evaluate them on a case by case basis. If there is value in it, or if it is fun I will play along.

Fortunately, I have yet to run out of things to say or something to post.

I try, key word "try," to visit all my blog-mates once a month. The bogs that I like I visit more frequently. Just because I haven’t visited in a while does not mean that I do not like the author or the blog. Let's face it there are a lot of good blogs out there and it is physically impossible to visit them all.

These are some of my coping devices.

We each need to find our own healthy balance.

Oh yes, and one more thing, inadvertently we put pressure on our friends to respond to our posts, to respond to our comments and comply with our tags. We need to ease up on the expectation. I know that I am as guilty of this as anyone.

I have probably made more blunders and errors than most. It was the kind guidance of my friends that has kept me blogging. For me blogging is unlike anything that I have ever experienced. The passion and fun grow day by day.

There is no easy answer or a right or wrong answer. This is just something that we all have to be aware of.

I would like to get some feedback on this. I believe that we all, at some point in our blogging lives, are hit with potential "burn out." How do you handle it? What pressures do you feel in regards to blogging? How do you cope?



Technorati Tags:
Burned Out burnout burn-out Blogger Burn-Out

Best "Out of office" automated replies

1. I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Please be prepared for my mood.

2. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at all.

3. Sorry to have missed you, but I am at the doctor's having my brain and heart removed so I can be promoted to our management team.

4. I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from vacation. Please be patient, and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.

5. Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first 10 words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.

6. The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try sending again.

(The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see how many in-duh-viduals did this over and over . . )

7. Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.

8. Hi, I'm thinking about what you've just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.

9. I've run away to join a different circus.

10. I will be out of the office for the! next 2 weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as 'Lucille' instead of Jim.



Technorati Tags:
Out of Office replies out of office

Section II - (Installment #35 "The Conclusion of Section II")

(If this is your first time on this site, you may want to begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

If you have been reading along with each installment, then “Congratulations;” you have reached the end of "Section II". If you have not read Section I or Section II, I strongly recommend that you go back and begin at the beginning.

Remember, you need to fully digest, understand and accept the messages in "Section II" before you start with "Section III". Re-read "Section II" many times before you go on to "Section III". Re-read each rhyme and answer the questions posed at the end of each installment. It is very important that you become active in the process. It is also important that you are completely honest with yourself. If you are not honest with yourself, you cannot facilitate the desired change. Whether or not you share your answers with someone else is completely up to you; it will not affect the outcome of the ”Process”, as long as you are honest with yourself

"Section III", when you are ready, will enable your conscious, as well as your subconscious mind to take ownership of the positive messages replacing the negative ones. But this will only happen if you understand and accept the positive messages related in the "Section I" quotes and the "Section II" poems.

For those who already possess a "Positive Mental Attitude," Section III will help fortify and enhance you existing attitudes. There is really no need to go back through Sections "I" & "II"; just enjoy Section III as it is posted.

For those struggling with self worth and defeatist attitudes; when you completely understand "Section I"...when you accept the truths of the "Section I" quotes...when you desperately want to adopt the attitudes reflected by the "Section II" poems as your own...when you have written about, and let out, your deepest, darkest, secrets (when you have cleansed yourself)...you will then be ready to go on to "Section III"; this will be when you are ready to take the reigns and take control of your life.

The differences in the rhymes between "Section II" and "Section III" are subtle, but critical to the desired outcome.

Go back many times before you go on. Remember, "Never, ever, ever quit."

Remember to use the "Empowerment Triad" of PASSION, PLEASURE & REPETITION.

Go to Section III - Introduction

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Congratulations End of Section II

No Words Needed

I got this wonderful picture from Stacy. Thank you Stacy.





Technorati Tag: smile

Timing is often everything

Upon arriving home, a husband was met at the door by his sobbing wife.

Tearfully, she explained, "It's the druggist. He insulted me terribly this morning on the phone. I had to call multiple times before he would even answer the phone."

Immediately, the husband drove downtown to confront the druggist and demand an apology.

Before he could say more than a word or two, the druggist told him, "Now, just a minute, listen to my side of it. This morning, the alarm failed to go off, so I was late getting up. I went without breakfast and hurried out to the car, just to realize that I'd locked the house with both house and car keys inside and had to break a window to get my keys.

"Then, driving a little too fast, I got a speeding ticket. Later, when I was about three blocks from the store, I had a flat tire."

"When I finally got to the store, a bunch of people were waiting for me to open up. I got the store opened and started waiting on these people.

All the time, the darn phone was ringing off the hook."

He continued, "Then, I had to break a roll of nickels against the cash register drawer to make change, and they spilled all over the floor. I had to get down on my hands and knees to pick up the nickels, and the phone was still ringing.

When I came up, I cracked my head on the open cash drawer, which made me stagger back against a showcase with a bunch of perfume bottles on it. Half of them hit the floor and broke."

"Meanwhile, the phone is still ringing with no let up, and I finally got back to answer it. It was your wife. She wanted to know how to use a rectal thermometer.

And believe me mister, as God is my witness, all I did was tell her.

My Mother Taught Me.....

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
" Because I said so, ! that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Technorati Tags:
my mother taught me my mother

Are You Prepared For Success? (Section II - Installment #34 "Once the Goal is Reached…” – Male & Female versions)

There is no greater force than the force of a man determined

(If this is your first time on this site, you may want to begin with "Are You Prepared For Success?" [Introduction])

Once the Goal is Reached…

Once the lesson is learned and the goal is achieved,
Its easy to slip back to what you once believed,
But remember the effort that got you here;
What it took and what you did to overcome your fear.

The temptation to revert to what you once knew
May be strong, but know that it’s no longer you.
The battle for control between you and your past
Must be won day by day for the progress to last.

The process of growth is a journey, my friend.
Nobody, in fact, ever reaches the end.
If you continue to learn and continue to grow,
Then happiness and success is what you will know.

Be strong, don't look back at failures and fears.
Be assured, it gets easier as you go through the years.
The lessons you've learned must be renewed every day.
Believe in yourself so you don't lose your way.

Be firm of conviction, be confident and strong
You will know what to do, you will know if it’s wrong.
You are your own cornerstone, you know how to win.
Never give up and never give in.

Life is worth living, so give it your all.
Believe in yourself, be proud and stand tall.
Have faith and know that the answer's in you.
Go forth and don't hesitate, live life anew.

(An Original Poem by Mel Kaye)

I strongly suggest that you write down your immediate reaction, after passionately reading this poem.

• What do you plan on doing to maintain the attitude changes, once they are achieved?

Copyright © MondayMorningPower, All rights Reserved

Please go to Section II - (Installment #35 "The Conclusion of Section II")

Technorati Tags:
Once the Goal is reached Goal reaching your goal

Smarter than a first grader?

A first grade school teacher in Virginia had 25 students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well-known Proverb and asked it to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don't change horses....................until they stop running.

2. Strike while the................................bug is close.

3. It's always darkest before...................Daylight Saving Time.

4. Never underestimate the power of........termites.

5. You can lead a horse to water but......how?

6. Don't bite the hand that....................looks dirty.

7. No news is......................................impossible.

8. A miss is as good as a .......................Mr.

9. You can't teach an old dog new ...............math

10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll........stink in the morning.

11. Love all, trust................................me.

12. The pen is mightier than the..............pigs.

13. An idle mind is..................the best way to relax.

14. Where there's smoke there's..............pollution.

15. Happy is the bride who.....................gets all the presents.

16. A penny saved is............................not much.

17. Two's company, three's ................the Musketeers.

18. Don't put off till tomorrow what........you put on to go to bed.

19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and ... you have t o blow your nose.

20. There are none so blind as.................Stevie Wonder.

21. Children should be seen and not..........spanked or grounded.

22. If at first you don't succeed.............get new batteries.

23. You get out of something only what you ... see in the picture on the box.

24. When the blind lead the blind..............get out of the way.

And the WINNER and last one!

25. Better late than.............................. pregnant.