Monday, July 25, 2011

Retro Review: Social Internet Marketing For Small Business


REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Social Internet Marketing For Small Business

WEB ADDRESS: www.websuccessdiva.com

BLOG'S DESCRIPTION: Social marketing expert Maria Reyes-McDavis explores practical online marketing strategies for the real world of small business, including social marketing, internet marketing, business blogging, and more.

MY REVIEW: If you want to give social internet marketing a try, I’d say this is an excellent resource to get you going in the right direction. There’s plenty of interesting information available before you have to do any joining…

Social Internet Marketing For Small Business is the blog of a commercial site – to get access to all the information, you do have to belong to the “Smart Marketing Vault". Most blog entries also come with several instructional videos – which aren’t visible to anyone except those who belong to Smart Marketing, and are not available on your kindle.

RECENT ARTICLES:
•Smart SEO Wordpress Plugins: Redirection and Broken Links Checker
•Online Marketing Success Requires Targeted Efforts (Target is a marketing strategy they’re promoting)
•DIY: Creating Sitemap for Blog SEO – promoting DD Sitemap generator
•Podcast: Online Marketing Big Picture View

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Bad Swami (humor)


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Bad Swami, by Bad Swami

WEB ADDRESS: http://badswami.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: A comedy blog about a wide-array of topics, including the trials and tribulations of growing up brown in America.

Why the name Bad Swami? For starters, I am Indian, but born and raised in America. Like so many self-proclaimed swamis, I have decided to present myself as a swami with no “swami credentials” per se. To be fair, I’m not really sure where to get such credentials but if you know a good place, please let me know. Bear in mind that I have a short attention span, poor reading comprehension, and an aversion to most religions. I doubt that I’ll ever be a good swami but I do possess the ability to be offbeat and irritating. In short, I sit on a throne of lies. I AM BAD SWAMI.

MY REVIEW: This is a new blog, but what there's been so far is pretty good. The author writes well and humorously. I like the title Bad Swami! Worth reading!

Sample post

Keep the doctor away
My brother is a doctor, and I feel bad for him because I use him as a proxy for all the aggression I have towards doctors. When he comes to visit me, I usually make him wait in my foyer for 45 minutes with only a Highlights magazine from 1972 to keep him occupied. Then I tell him to wait some more in my living room and I turn the temperature down to 50 degrees. Then, when I finally go downstairs to see him, I tell him that he might feel some “slight discomfort” and I slap him as hard as I can. I think he is getting tired of this ritual but I just have to get it out of my system.

I think doctors sit in their back office and laugh hysterically at me and I disgustedly page through Redbook and Women’s Journal in their waiting room. Come on! How about a nice copy of GQ or a flat screen TV with a nice cop movie or something. I long to sit in the waiting room staring up at an enormous flat screen HDTV and hear the words, “He’s a good cop in a bad mood” or “This time, they messed with the wrong cop” or “They kidnapped his family and kicked his dog…he’s pissed…and this time it’s personal.” Even when they have a TV in their waiting room, it’s one of those old cathode tube, black and white, curved screen TVs with poor reception playing The People’s Court or Jerry Springer.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love doctors and many of my close family members are doctors. It’s just that, like many of you, I find their assessment process very annoying and, in some cases, a tad humiliating.

If a doctor were especially naughty on this Earth and ended up in Hell, I can only guess what bizarre punishment the Devil would inflict on him. Chances are, there would be some kind of poetic justice where the doctor would have to endure the same process they put their poor patients through on Earth.

What might the Devil do to a naughty doctor? Well, for starters, I’m fairly certain that the Devil would make him wait for hours in a sterile, freezing cold room, completely nude except for one of those ill-fitting, paper snuggies that the medical profession generously refers to as a “gown.” The Devil would hang out in the hallway outside seemingly forever drinking coffee, laughing, and flirting with the nurses.

After that, he’d pompously enter the windowless examination room looking at a chart as though he was doing the doctor and the room a huge favor just by showing up, like Tom Cruise signing his last autograph of the day. The Devil would then put an ice cold stethoscope directly on the doctor’s chest and ask him to take deep breaths until he hyperventilated and passed out.

For the dreaded hernia exam, the Devil would cradle the doctor’s balls, instruct him to cough, and then to sing the entire soundtrack to Oklahoma (the long version). When testing reflexes, the Devil would hit the doctor’s opposing knees as hard as he could with a rubber sledge hammer, and say after each whack, “Hmmm…I can’t seem to find your patellar tendon. Are you sure you have one…hahahaha! Oh, man, that joke kills every time!”

The Devil would then ask him to bend over while he checked his prostate — the hard way. The Devil would, of course, make the doctor open his mouth, say “ahhh” for twenty minutes, and cram a splintery two-by-four into the back of his throat and say, “Just relax, I’m testing your gag reflex.” For no apparent reason the Devil would also say, “You know I think you really need a barium enema, and while we are at it, a full colonoscopy.” At the end of the exams, the Devil would tell the doctor that he is way too fat, needs to exercise, and should eat healthier if he wants to have a good quality of afterlife for eternity in Hell.

Now that would be poetic justice.


RECENT POSTS:
--Bollywood Voiceover
--Horny for Food
--South Asian Women: Insecurity and Beauty
--The Art of War…With Douchebags
--Keep the Doctor Away
_______________
Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Friday, July 22, 2011

Get Off the Love Short Bus (relationships)


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Get Off the Love Short Bus, by K. L. Brady

WEB ADDRESS: http://thebummagnet.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Author K.L. Brady and her favorite characters from hilarious novel, The Bum Magnet, share opinions and ideas on life, love, relationships, and dating. "SistaGirl Advice for the Lovelorn and Relationship Challenged"

MY REVIEW:
This is an excellent blog for the relationship-challenged, either male or female, though it is written from the female point of view. The author writes well and has good stuff to say. [The author's first adult novel, The Bum Magnet, which was originally self-published, was acquired by Simon & Schuster in March 2011. The sequel, Got A Right to Be Wrong, will be released in January 2012.]

The blog has some scheduled features:
--Mondays
The Topic of the Week - Tips on Life and Love
--Wednesdays
He/She Said, We Said With Nisey and Rissey - Letters from the Lovelorn.
--Fridays
Mama Tyson's Weekly Words of Wisdom
--Any dayRissey and Nisey Short Bus Special - Discussion of the Topic of The Week

Sample post:
Absentee Dads: How Women Are Affected, 4 Tips to Cope
I tried to think of a way to make this topic funny, but it's so deeply personal to me that even I failed to find the humor. From Evelyn on Basketball Wives, to Jennifer Aniston, to little unknown me, relationship patterns among women with without strong fathers has one undeniable trend--they're unsuccessful. My father and I couldn't be closer today, but for the first 18 years of my life, he was missing in action. And his absence has had a profound impact on my relationships with men. By no small coincidence, it's also among the subject matter covered in the upcoming sequel to The Bum Magnet, Got a Right to Be Wrong, when Charisse's absentee father reappears for her pending nuptials. Of course, like many women, dad's reappearance can often go over like a lead balloon--as does his.

If you think growing up without a father in your life isn't one of the most significant factors that impact your relationships with men, you really need to take a deeper look inside your feelings. As girls, we need affirmation and appreciation from our father's and male role models. We need to hear we're beautiful, smart...worthy of the best a man has to offer. We need to feel safe and protected. Boys need to observe the way "good men" behave, carry themselves, communicate...and most importantly, how they treat the women in their lives. Unfortunately that role is lost when Daddy's gone and women, no matter how hard they try, women cannot fill that role, especially when the man was missing from our own lives.

Society always places so much emphasis on ensuring boys have strong male role models that women are often forgotten in that equation, but think about this for one second. In 2006, 12.9 million families in the United States were headed by a single parent, 80 percent of those female. 80 friggin' percent! That means we as women, and our dysfunctional relationships with men, will impact not only our own lives, but the quality of relationships that our children and our children's children will have in their lifetimes. If we can't get it right, then with 80 percent of us heading households, our kids probably won't either.

Studies show that teenage girls without fathers in the home engage in sexual activity earlier, have higher rates of teenage pregnancy, and some even enter puberty sooner. Not to mention behavioral and academic problems.

As grown women, those issues manifest themselves in a number of different ways, including:

Low-self esteem, skewed senses of self-worth. After all, the man who was supposed to be genetically disposed to love us and keep us safe has rejected us (or so many of us believe). In our minds, we weren't worthy enough for him to step up to plate and meet his responsibility. Of course common sense says he had issues that had nothing to do with us, but our hearts haven't quite learned to translate his absence in that way.

Fear of commitment. Many of us become serial daters or monogamists because we don't want to place full faith and confidence in any man.

Trust issues. Even in committed seemingly healthy relationships with with good men, we live with the expectation that someday, their going to leave us or let us down. So, we're constantly looking over our shoulders...and theirs.
Attraction to emotionally unavailable men...just like daddy. Many of us will unconsciously replicate the relationship with our absentee dads. Seem crazy doesn't it? To chase men for a love we know they aren't capable of giving? That's because we're experienced at it. For our entire lives we've craved a love from our fathers that they weren't capable or willing to provide. So looking for love from an unwilling partner becomes the norm and we don't know the feeling of acceptance because we've never received willing love from a man.

Fear of abandonment. Always afraid someone's going to leave us, we cling to relationships with a Kung Fu death grip. We almost refuse release painful or hurtful relationships because we're so scared we may not find anyone else to love us. It's better to keep a sorry piece of man than to experience the pain of him leaving.

Promiscuity. Some women seek love through sex because they have no sense of self-worth. Never had a man to say they are precious, beautiful, and important. Never felt protected. We need to feel safe and wanted, even if that only occurs during a brief moment of intercourse. We don't believe we are smart, worthy, or valuable enough to attract love any other way.
These issues are serious, deeply rooted, and can't be fixed in a day or month. For many, it may take years. As with any road to healing, it all begins with one step at a time. One day at a time. Here are four steps to begin on the road to coping with the pain of our past and focusing on our futures.

Admit that your father's absence has negative affected your life. Pray to God. Talk to your pastor. Go to therapy. Hell, talk to yourself if that helps. So many of us put up fronts and say, "I'm doing just fine without my daddy in my life." You've achieved some level of success without him. But there's a hole in your emotional well-being, and always will be, until you face the fact two simple facts: You needed him, and he wasn't there for you.

Write a letter. Tell your father how much his absence hurt you. Tell him what he missed and tell him what happened to you because he wasn't there to protect you. Tell him you're angry. Tell him you hate how he behaved. Let it all out. If you're in contact with your father, you may want to give the letter to him. If not, then put the letter away until you're ready to throw it away.

Forgive him. Yes, at some point, you have to let go of your pain and move on with the rest of your life with the understanding that your life is bigger than your father's mistakes. Who you are, the woman you're destined to become, is greater than your past. You can grow from your pain and you can have healthy happy relationships despite the way your father treated you (or didn't treat you). Forgiveness frees you to let go and focus on your future.

Ensure your children have strong male role models. Don't repeat the pattern. You're an adult so you may feel it's too late for you...but it's not too late for your children. Eighty percent! You have a responsibility to your kids to keep them from becoming statistics. Ensure your kids have mentors and role models, inside of the family and out.

Absentee fathers, whether they are in the home or outside of it, leave holes in their daughters' emotional development that women don't understand how to fill. And if we haven't had positive male role models, we'll likely seek to fill it with something emotionally and/or physically dysfunctional. The fact of the matter is, nothing and no one could fill the void left by a father's absence. But you can move on and, with a little forgiveness and healing, you can still become the best version of yourself and embrace positive relationships with men.

[and of course, what's the effect of absentee dads on sons?]

RECENT POSTS:
--Weekly Words of Wisdom
--He Said, We Said - She's an Alien!
--Absentee Dads: How Women Are Affected, 4 Tips to C...
--Weekly Words of Wisdom
--Booty Call to Boyfriend: 5 Ways to Make Him Yours
--Shake off the Guilt: 5 Great Reasons to Date a Mar...
--Weekly Words of Wisdom
--She Said, We Said - The Ass? Or Green Grass?
--So, You're a Bum Magnet, Huh? Here's Your 12-Step ...


_______________
Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Monday, July 18, 2011

This Dreamer (writing)


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: This Dreamer, by Anastasia Wake

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.thisdreamer.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Anastasia Wake is an aspiring writer who lives in Michigan and blogs about her family, animals, thoughts and views, and day to day life.

MY REVIEW: This is a pretty interesting blog. As the description states, the author doesn't talk about her writing at all (well, rarely) but rather about her family, animals, etc. etc. She has an interesting point of view, and lots of stuff to say.

If you too are an aspiring writer, or want to find out how writers tick, give this blog a try.

Sample post:
My Favorite Conspiracy Theories
On Friday, December 21, 2012, we are all going to die. At least, that’s what the ancient Mayans and Hollywood wanted us to think. I have always loved a good conspiracy theory. While I may not necessarily believe in one, or all of them, I also don’t poo-poo them either. I am a firm believer that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. It’s also great fun to learn more about what other people believe, no matter how kooky some of them seem. Here are some of my more favorite conspiracy theories:

1). 9/11 – This theory hits closest to home and seems to be one of the more plausible conspiracies. Theorists say the U. S. government either had advance knowledge of the 9/11 attacks and did nothing about them or the attacks were orchestrated by the U. S. government itself. We all know where we were on 9/11/01. A former job of mine had me announcing the events as they were unfolding to roughly one million people that morning. The last time I spoke to my beloved grandma was on that day. There’s no need to rehash the horror but there are too many details of those events that don’t seem quite right whether it’s the bomb-sniffing dogs who weren’t allowed in the buildings right before, or the way in which the buildings collapsed. I really don’t want to know too much more because it would be overwhelming.

2). Reptilians/Lizard People – This theory is so much fun! Lizard people are allegedly humanoid reptilian aliens from the Alpha Draconis star system who live underground and take part in human/alien abductions. They have also allegedly infiltrated all facets of our life including government and corporations and control all of us. That’s all you need to know in a nutshell but, honestly, if you have never heard of this theory, I suggest giving yourself a few hours on the internet to pore over the information that’s out there. YouTube has many, many videos dealing with the reptilians. I find all aspects of this idea absolutely fascinating and the people who believe it are intriguing.

3). Black helicopters – After spending an afternoon with my brother searching for black helicopters on Google Earth, I can say they are out there. Well, we found helicopters that look black from overhead. Some believe the choppers are a secretive military takeover of the United States by the U. N. and others believe they work with the mysterious “men in black” and are more alien in nature. Black helicopters don’t have any identification markings on them. There are no numbers, no way to trace them. Back in 1995, a Republican representative from Idaho said that armed federal agents were landing black helicopters on ranchers’ land. She said she had been getting many complaints from her constituents even though she hadn’t seen them for herself.

4). Cryptozoology – This, perhaps, really isn’t so much of a conspiracy theory but it covers such a wide range of fringe science that I had to include it. It’s the study of animals whose existence hasn’t been proven, like Big Foot, Chupacabra, thunderbirds, and more. If Discovery, TLC, the History Channel, or any other station has a show about some unknown critter, I’m all over it. I think my very favorite of the cryptozoological animals are the thunderbirds. Native Americans believed they were giant birds that could carry off baby buffalo and flew ahead of thunderstorms. You would think it’s just a great legend until you hear about the sixty-five pound boy in Lawndale, Illinois in 1977 who was picked up by a large bird and carried for a distance of thirty yards before the child was able to escape. The boy’s name was Marlon Lowe.

5). Roswell/Area 51 – Who doesn’t love a good alien conspiracy? Roswell points to the U. S. government hiding a U.F.O. crash in Roswell, New Mexico and Area 51 is the secret military base, which the government has denied existed, in southern Nevada. Other than the Kennedy assassination, I would venture to guess this is the most popular of all the conspiracy theories. If it deals with aliens, then the government is obviously hiding something. Those who believe would have you think the U.S. has already made contact and we are now getting technology from the craft which the aliens left behind. It actually makes sense when you consider the technological advances we’ve seen since the late 1940′s.

I have spent hours of my life reading about these theories. It is always a blast to learn about these topics which others take so seriously. Other than the reptilian/lizard people, I do believe there is some fragments of truth to all of this. I guess for me to maintain a semblance of sanity, I need to (innocently) believe that our government wouldn’t be so malicious. All I can say is, thank God for the internet, where you can learn all you need to know about conspiracies, theories, fringe science and more.
RECENT POSTS:
--Forging Ahead
--My Favorite Conspiracy Theories
--A Little Girl is Still Dead
--The Road to Catholicism
--Happy Independence Day!
--Old Pictures
--Being Alone
--Sticking With It
--My Favorite Time of the Day
--Why Michigan?



_______________
Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Retro Review: My Life A BIt South of Normal


REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo


MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: My Life a Bit SOuth of Normal

WEB ADDRESS: www.abitsouthofnormal.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Every once in awhile I stop and ask myself, "I don't think everyone lives this way." In fact, "I don't think anyone else lives this way." I have an ordinary existence with an insane extraordinary cast of characters. When I think about it, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Yes, folks it's all true, and it could only happen in the south.

MY REVIEW: The author of the blog, who updates it every couple of days, is a 50-year old southerner who lives in the Deep South. I believe this means, South Carolina. (I’m from Minnesota, for all that I currently live in Virginia.) Most regions of the US (or indeed, of any country) have different traditions, menus and so on, as does every generation. (I’ve read about collards in books, for example, but I’ve never felt the need to dine on them. Sufficient to know that in the Deep South they are still a traditional dish!)

If you’re interested in people, you’ll enjoy these entertaining and amusing, and culturally-instructive anecdotes.

RECENT ARTICLES:


_______________
Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Retro Review: Gun Nuts Media


REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Gun Nuts Media

WEB ADDRESS:  www.gunnuts.net

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Gun Nuts Media is one of the premier online sources for information on the shooting sports, new guns, gear, events. We also provide up to date coverage of political issues surrounding the right to keep and bear arms.

MY REVIEW: Gun Nuts Media is a blog that is newly available for subscription by Kindle, but has been around on the web since 2006 (at http://gunnuts.net). It’s found in the Sports section (where I found it) and also in News, Politics and Opinion.

The blog is for gun enthusiasts who like to target shoot, in various events, and secondarily about protecting people’s rights to bear arms. They also have a radio program.

The blog entries talk about everything gun related, from the laws about gun ownership to the individuals involved in the sport.

PERSONAL NOTE: I would love to take up target shooting as a hobby... if only ammunition weren’t so expensive! In any event, for those are in to target shooting and collecting guns and so on, this is an excellent blog.

RECENT ARTICLES:
  • Glock Sponsores USPSA Area 6. (2010 pistol shooting championship season, sponsored by the US Practical Shooting Association). Area 6 region includes states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee...
  • Indiana Residents: Contact Your State Senators: news of interest to gun owners who don’t want conceal laws messed with, nor give the government the right to confiscate their guns in the case of a national emergency...
  • FBI purchases AR-15s in .40 S&W (Smith & Wesson). From my buddy at the Firearm Blog; apparently the FBI has decided that hey, pistol caliber carbines are kind of a neat idea.  According to the procurement document, the FBI wants these carbines for training and as option to the 5.56 AR15 rifles that they currently issue.  The caliber makes sense as well, as the FBI’s standard issue firearms for Special Agents is usually a Glock 22 in .40 S&W.  The FBI document actually mentions “easily sourced ammo” as a reason for going with the .40 S&W AR...
  • Revolver Boot Camp: Shooter Julia Golob has sent her S&W 627 V-Comp off to revolver boot camp at Apex Tactical to get slimmed and trimmed down for the upcoming ICORE season...

_______________
Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Friday, July 15, 2011

Upcoming Reviews

It's not as if I don't subscribe regularly to dozens and dozens of blogs via the kindle, in order to review them on a daily basis! Unfortunately, quite a few of the blogs have unsuitable Kindle feeds, or haven't been updated for a while. So that's one of the reasons why I haven't been updating this blog report as often as I'd intended.

(And it also shows the importance of subscribing to these blogs - just to take a look at them if nothing else! People put their blogs on Kindle with high hopes...they get only one or two subscriptions, and then the blog fades away. At a cost of 99 cents a month per blog, and with a 2 week free trial, there's no reason not to subscribe to a blog that interests you!)

I'll be getting back on track next Monday, with at least one and hopefully two blog reviews every other day.

Here's some blogs I've got sitting on my Kindle which I hopefully will be able to review instead of ignore...

(and several new blogs are being added every day and I'll get to them soon, too)

Blogs I need to review or delete from my Kindle this weekend!
-Drink of the week (I actually think I've already reviewed this - will have to check!)
-Lost Highway's B-movie reviews (ditto)
-Self help for self publishers
-Ex.Christian.net (one of several atheist blogs I signed up for to review, will only review 1 a week, as I also review religious blogs too.)
-Atheist News
-Amazon Toy Whimsy (a free blog)
-Newspaper Death Watch
-The Finance Buff
-Basil and Spice (must be cooking!)
-Life with Sarcoidosis
-The Other 46 Wine Blog
-Super REader
-Scam Detectives
-Bite-size business for actors
-On the edge of the chair of...
-101 Ways my parentsd tried to kill me
-Blog: From a Dieticians...
-The Frugal ereader
-Off the Vine Magazine
-Motherhood and more
-Pleasure Palate
-Memoirs from Nam
-Tech, Travel & Tuna
-Savorychicks
-FoodieBuddha
-Anelemc's Blog
-Starting a garden
-Thoughts on mental health
-Beyond the weighting place
-The Write Stuff
-Resonant Frequency
-Ukulele REview
-Waggle Room (golf)
-Orlando Golf Blogger
-Ebook Endeavors
-Magic and Mystery
-The Exercise and Nutrition blog
-THe Insightful Entreprenur
-Tonya R. Moore Speculative Ficiton
-Faces of War
-THe Amateur Scientist
-African American Books on Kindle
-Buy American, a novel
-Kentucky Starup Blog
-Business BLog for Entrepreneurs
-Opinionated
-One Story
-Flight Lines Newspaper
-Science News
-Home Business Magazine
-The Informed Traveler

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Mom 2 Baby Insomniac (parenting)


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://mum2babyinsomniac.wordpress.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: In November 2010 I gave birth to my little girl, Iyla Cherry. My labour was 46 hours in total and was a fairly traumatic experience but the end result was most definitely worth it. Iyla was born at 10pm and she pretty much slept from then right throught to the next morning, I didn’t realise until later that most babies do this. So when dad2babyinsomiac came to pick us up from the hospital and I was telling him what a fantastic sleeper she was I was expecting it to last. It didn’t. I had given birth to a baby insomniac.

MY REVIEW: Before having a child, would-be parents really should educate themselves as to how much work is involved in raising a child. (As well as joys, of course!) To that end, there are plenty of blogs out there from parents, from parents of newborns, to toddlers, to teens, This is one of 'em.

The autor writes well. The blog is illustated with lots of photos - both of the kiddes and of places they've traveled. Much to see here. Check it out!

Sample post
The one about weight, calories and dieting
Weight. Up until I was about 19 I never worried about mine, I was pretty small and could basically eat anything I liked, then I moved in with dad2babyinsomniac and put on about 2 stone over the space of a few months. We used to go out to the pub on a Friday night where I would drink pints of beer (I had no clue how many calories each one contained), then we would come home and cook up midnight snacks. The rest of the weekend would be spent in bed eating rubbish. Pizza, roast dinner, crisps, chocolate, that plus the fact that I had been introduced to cheesy pasta bake and fallen in love with it meant that I piled on weight fast. I literally had no idea how many calories I was consuming or what a calorie even was.

I am not blessed in the height department and once my Mum had told me that I was looking all ‘soft’, ‘lovely’ and ’round’ I knew it was time to lose weight. (She didn’t mean it in a bad way but who wants to look ’round’?!) I changed my diet drastically after that, I went pretty over the top with it. Out with the sugar and dairy and in with the tofu and carob. It did mean that I lost the weight though.
I eased up with how strict I was after a while and eventually ended up just eating a normal diet but not eating to excess. This was fine for a few years until I was going through a really stressful time in my life, I was having panic attacks and suffering with really bad anxiety and this made me not want to eat at all. Food (or lack of it) became my main focus in life, it stopped me thinking about things that I didn’t want to think about and made me feel good.

I became obsessed, I am not in any way claiming to have had an eating disorder but my obsession with food was definitely bad enough to have quite a serious impact on my life and my relationship. All I used to think about was food and calories, I was working in an office and there were pieces of paper on my desk just covered in numbers where I had been working out how many calories I had eaten that day. I didn’t want to make a mistake and miss any out so I would do it over and over again. I used to eat a weighed out portion of cereal with light soya milk for breakfast and soup for my lunch and dinner or sometimes salad. My ‘treat’ was a bowl of raw carrot but even this was weighed and calorie counted. As long as I didn’t go over my set allowance of calories for the day then I was happy, even happier if I had managed to bank a few hundred calories.

Pretty soon I got down to under eight stone and instead of the positive comments I had been receiving I started to get people acting concerned. My sister told me that I was starting to look like a lollipop head and that I should stop losing weight but this just made me feel even more determined.

I didn’t realise it at the time as I was so caught up in myself but dad2babyinsomniac was starting to find my behaviour pretty hard to deal with (totally understandable as there is nothing worse than spending time with someone on a diet!). He was always trying to tell me how I was too skinny in the hope that I would listen to him but I didn’t. I loved the attention I was getting from it even though it had started to turn negative. He was fed up with coming home to soup every night and every time he used to suggest going out to eat and I refused meant that we weren’t spending any proper time together. We were living in a small flat in a town where we didn’t know anyone and he started to avoid coming home which made me start to resent him. I held him responsible for everything that was going wrong and was so bored of spending every night at home in our poxy little flat. It got to the point where I didn’t think we should be together anymore so I went to stay with my dad for a while. It was during this time that I started eating proper meals again, this plus the time to think meant I sorted myself out. I realised a lot of things about myself and our relationship and how unfair and selfish I had been. I also realised how much I loved and wanted to be with dad2babyinsomniac.

When I look back to how I was at my worst point it does scare me a bit but I was in a bad place, once I had sorted everything out in my life and in my head my obsession with food stopped. I know I will never be like that again, especially because I now have the responsibility of setting a good example to Iyla so she doesn’t have an unhealthy relationship with food. I don’t want her to see or hear me going on about food or weight all the time.

I have loved the freedom with eating that pregnancy and breastfeeding has given me but Iylas breastfeeding days are going to be over in the not too distant future and I need to start thinking about how I am going to maintain my weight and be healthy, without it taking over my life. This is another one of those situations where men have it easy. It is so much harder for them to put on weight. The sad thing is that no matter how hard I try to make sure Iyla doesn’t have a issue with food or her weight, at some point she will think she is fat, go on a diet and be unhappy with her body. Unfortunately it seems to be something that women are destined to do, and it’s only getting worse with all the photoshopping of celebrities that is carried out these days. But that is a whole other issue.

I just need to remember that if I am feeling bad about eating too much dessert then the answer is to get off my arse and do some exercise. Although at the sametime, I am always going to be wishing for an easier solution!


RECENT POSTS:
--Silent Sunday
--The problem with looking young
--You’ve been gone for so long……..but I haven’t missed you a bit
--In the doghouse
--Silent Sunday
--Teeth – Do we really need them?!
--The Gallery – My weekend
--Silent Sunday
--The Sickness Score – Man versus Woman flu
--The Gallery – Not going. Sob.
--I’ll skip the main and just have dessert (I am a breastfeeding sugar addict)
--Silent Sunday
--Where do we go, would I even want to know?
--The Gallery – Dads
--Does co-sleeping = better parenting?!
--Five minutes as a hillbilly thanks to my fixed ipod……
--Silent Sunday
--No, I haven’t washed your bloody socks
--If only boring people get bored then I must be extremely dull
--Bye bye baby…..
--Silent Sunday
--Flashback Friday – My first ‘love’ or so I thought
--What I have loved about breastfeeding…..
--Silent Sunday
--The morning after……
--Tonights the night
--Can food really just be fun until they’re one?!
--Silent Sunday


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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Are You Acting Up? (acting)


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Are You Actin g Up, by Dr. Moss-Bouldin

WEB ADDRESS: http://areyouactingup.wordpress.com/author/areyouactingup/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Are you an actor that is dedicated to your craft? Then this blog is for you! This blog shares with you acting tips in theatre and film. It informs you of some of the things actors should do now to cultivate their craft!

MY REVIEW: This blog is an excellent blog for aspiring actors. The only problem is that it is only updated twice a month. Well, fror 99 cents a month that's not too bad.

If you're an aspiring actor, check it out.

Sample post:
You booked a job! Now what?! Tip 1
Posted on June 20, 2011 by areyouactingup
There is so much information on how to audition, acting techniques, monologues, scene study, and etc but very little on expectations of an actor once they book a job. I find this fascinating because what happens after you book a job affects the energy and longevity of an artist project. Plus, if you are not aware of certain behaviors, you may be putting yourself in jeopardy on a project.

Actors often tell me that they’re so excited about their latest part, play, movie, or whatever but then I observe them coming late to rehearsal, not being timely with the communication, ill prepared on set or in rehearsal (not memorized) . Actions speak louder than words! Make sure that in every detail of your job, you are showing the director that they made the right choice by casting you.

Here are the first three tips:

Demonstrate Passion for the Project
Be timely in your communication-honor your word
Be flexible but consistent
Passion: If you’re excited about working with the artistic and production team, then they will be excited about working with you!

As a director and producer, it is so important that the talent possesses a passion for the project! It will help you in case you want to negotiate anything as well. If the director does not feel that you’re into the project, he/she may begin to have second thoughts about casting you. Was this the right decision? What are they really adding to the project? Maybe I should replace he/she? Yes! It’s true! Actors can get fired! It happens everyday for various reasons and that is another blog in itself.

Now, back to the positive! There is so much power in demonstrating your passion for your job. Excitement is contagious! In addition, it is reinforcement to the director and the production team that they made the right decision when they hired you. Think about it. What happens when you go purchase an outfit that you like or you are indecisive about your choice, and the salesperson compliments your choice by saying, “what a great color! That’s going to look really good on you! This is my favorite….” You get the point. Once this happens, you become more excited about your purchase because someone agreed with your choice. That makes you soar! It’s the same thing with a director, every time you show how much you care about the project, the better, everyone’s temperament will be and this is a great thing since film, theatre, and tv are highly collaborative art forms. When you collaborating, it’s always a joy to look forward to the production process because everyone is happy to be there.

The more positive energy you put into the project the more it will reflect in your work. Therefore, if you’re not excited about the project in the first place, don’t audition for the part. You may be able to pretend during the audition process but sooner or later, you will fizzle out and put yourself in a bad situation. Remember, how you behave (etiquette on set, on stage, or during rehearsal) determines whether or not you will be booked for another job with that company or anyone that is associated with that company. Anyone who is in the business will tell you that it is a small world out there. If a director and/or producer has a difficult time with you, the chances of getting rehired are slim to none. And as the old saying goes, you are only as good as your last job.

Stay tuned for the second tip: Communication: Perception as Reality.

RECENT POSTS:
--You booked a job! Now what?! Tip 1
--Awareness in your acting technique
--The Tragedy of Her: Acting for the Camera
--Forgot the words? Keep Going!
--Film Boot Camp: The Ultimate Master Class

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Good Vibe Blob (Positive thinking)


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Good Vibe Blog, by Jeanette Maw

WEB ADDRESS: http://goodvibeblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Manifesting stories, tips and techniques for deliberate creators using the law of attraction to get what they want.

MY REVIEW: This description from the website is soooo much more informative than the blog description from Amazon:
You & Me
I’ll share details about me, but the truth is YOU are way more interesting.

In fact, YOU are why this blog exists in the first place. You readers are the smartest people I know; generous with your insights and experiences, and asking all the best questions!

Many of you are expert uplifters, although you might not call yourself that. Lots of you work in the counseling, healing, coaching, and arts fields. Or you have a gift for bringing that to your current “work,” whatever that may be.

Some of you are new to this manifesting stuff, but many of you have studied this even longer than I have.

You like Abraham material, you’ve seen The Secret (and while you enjoyed it for the inspiration, you’re excited to find – and even create – more robust teachings about LOA), you know that LOA stands for Law of Attraction. (In fact, you guys taught me that!)

Most of you have a manifesting expertise or two, whether it’s rock star parking or free flowing traffic or something else fun. And many have a particular project you’ve been working on for a bit that you appreciate getting support, insights and assistance with.

Although many have told me you come from traditional religious backgrounds, you’ve morphed your perspectives since then. And you’ve learned not to hold it against others who aren’t doing the same.

Your favorite thing to do is help out a friend, whether it’s an online “stranger” with a word of support or a dear family member with a big hug when they down. You’re the most generous, loving and accepting people I’ve ever met! (And I work in the coaching industry – so that’s saying something!)

You have a variety of gifts you share with the world, including your beaming smiles, words of wisdom, unconditional love, your art, your way of telling a story, and your formal energy work (reiki, massage, card reading, etc).

Above all, you’re finding life to be quite an adventure with its share of both ups and downs, and you’re learning to navigate life’s twists and turns with the kind of expertise that would make a NASCAR racetrack pro envious.

And it is my pleasure to call you friend. Thanks for being here. You’re making all the difference in the world!

As for me …

For years I struggled with job changes, relationship breakups, financial upsets, health problems, etc. I had no idea of my power to change life’s details.

After building a “successful” corporate career in financial services, I soon lived the rut of autopilot. I didn’t know there was any other way to do it, until one day a homeless guy invited me to hit the road with him and the invite appealed!

I realized something might not be right with this life I’d built if giving it all up to wander the streets sounded like a good trade. It was one of those turning point moments that led to a heartfelt search for change. (Thank you homeless guy for the wake-up call.)

Not long after discovering and playing with the Law of Attraction, I became passionate about sharing this life-changer with others. Trained at CoachU and a Master Certified Coach under Martha Beck, I created Good Vibe Coaching for the extreme privilege of helping you turn your life upside down – or right side up, depending on your point of view.

I love helping people challenge beliefs, play with energy, and know that everything is possible to create daily magic and miracles!

If we’re facebook friends you already know I’m a dog lover and survived my corporate days by volunteering as a foster mom for the local animal shelter. (Which I still enjoy!)

Nature is my touchstone and I thrive when I’m hiking or even just sinking toes into green grass.

I love the movies; Mexican food is my staple; yoga helps me stay grounded and feeling good. Chocolate, music, classic cars … yes, yes, yes! My studies over the years have included diet & nutrition, astrology, feng shui, angels, simplicity, chakras, numerology, past lives, dream work and kinesiology, among other things.

That sounds eclectic, huh? Well, I’m having a good time this go-round! And it’s fabulous to be here with you all! Thank you for the privilege.
Sample post:
Using Law of Attraction to Rid Cellulite?

That’s what someone asked me today. How to use law of attraction to get rid of cellulite.

Forget world peace and planetary health, let’s use our creative power where it really counts: on those thighs!

I get a lot of emailed questions, but I liked this one in particular.

Partly because I’ve been running into a similar obstacle with something I’ve been trying to get rid of lately.

Which is the recurring thought: “What’s wrong with people?!”

I don’t remember where it started – probably a conversation with someone in animal rescue. (I get tripped up on that subject sometimes.)

And now it’s popping up in all sorts of conversations.

Senator Weiner tweets inappropriate photos, or
Arnold cheats on Maria, or
my brother tells me about his lawn mower appropriated by his ex-wife, or
Bachelorette Ashley falls for the jerk …
… and there’s that thought again.

Which isn’t a surprise, since that’s how law of attraction works. I held the thought with strong emotion at some point, revisited it a time or two, and now Universe has it on my playlist. “What’s wrong with people?”

(not my proudest manifestation)

I don’t like it and I don’t want any more of it.

Kind of like how many of us feel about cellulite, right?

It’s easy to see where I’m going wrong with my “what’s wrong with people” mantra. Whether we’re battling cellulite or cancer or the IRS or exes with illegally obtained lawn mowers - it’s all the same.

When I resist it, it persists.

I create more cellulite (or other things to dislike about my body) when I loathe it. And when I push against a thought I don’t want, it replicates like rabbits in my mind.

So does that mean I should embrace my love for all that is wrong with people? Well, that would be an improvement to what I’ve been doing – which is trying not to think it.

It’s finally gotten to the point where I burst out laughing when I say it now. (Which is also a step up the vibrational scale – laughter!)

Because “trying” is no match against law of attraction.

If you want something to be gone, whether it’s cellulite or stupid people – here’s what works better:

make some peace with it
and then focus on the opposite (or at least something alternative)
I’m practicing this by not beating myself up when I hear myself repeating my “What’s wrong with people” mantra, and then consciously noticing what’s right with folks. And there is SO much evidence of that!

If it’s cellulite you want law of attraction to take away - start by stop making it such a problem.

Soften your thinking about it; let it be a smaller deal.

And then notice what’s RIGHT. Whith your body, your life, the world, whatever – get your attention on what’s easier to appreciate.

That’s the kind of vibration Universe can deliver you something good with.

Because anytime we do battle with something – whether it’s cellulite or thoughts or drugs or cancer or terrorists or true loves – we lose. And we deliberate creators know too much to play it that way.
RECENT POSTS:
--Playing with the Money Mantra - 28,619 views
--What’s On Oprah’s Vision Board? - 27,090 views
--How to Catch a Dog (& Anything Else You Want) - 16,745 views
--Three Keys to Instant Magic - 13,360 views--Using Law of Attraction to Win the Lottery - 12,748 views
--Guest Post: Kim Falconer (Astro Mojo) - 12,697 views
--How to Manifest More Sex (or Anything Else You Want) - 11,572 views
--When You Need It Bad - 10,243 views
--Achieving the Impossible, Alice in Wonderland Style - 8,250 views

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Cinful Cinnamon's Blog


REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.cinfulcinnamon.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The first question that I am usually asked is: “Is that your real name?” The answer to that is yes. Was I born with the name? No. I legally changed it in 2006 when my Dad died. Cancer took him from me and I wanted a way to remember him in a way that I would be reminded daily. He gave me a pony when I was 9 years old. It was the greatest gift I was ever given. And you guessed it…her name was Cinnamon. My Dad and I did a lot of bonding while enjoying that pony. And I’ll never forget her or my hero….My Dad.

As for the rest………………….well…………….

I am: an Air Force vet, wife, Mom, sister, friend, Lifestyler, and all-around smart-ass with a heart of gold. I have lived all over the far East and learned many things about people and cooking, art and true value. I like to share my experience with the rest of the world. I will be the most loyal friend or most annoying enemy you’ve ever known. Honest to a fault. My life has not always been easy, but it has never ever been boring. The people that know me don’t have to wonder where I stand on anything. I will let you know. I give everyone a chance. Sometimes to my own detriment. My Dad once told me a story about someone that borrowed five bucks from him. And then never paid him back although he saw Dad on several occasions after that. I asked him one day why he didn’t ask for the money back. He told me, “It was worth the five bucks to know that he isn’t the kind of person that I would ever trust again.” That made so much sense to me that I adopted it as my life’s motto. Unfortunately, the chances that we give some people are much bigger, and hurt much more when they let us down. Whether it’s with our money, or our time, or our hearts….it all hurts the same. Try to learn from it and move on.

All I know is this: If there is another life waiting for me after I leave this one….I wanna come back as the DRIVER OF THE KARMA BUS !!! lol

MY REVIEW: This is an interesting blog for girls in their late teens and women. All kinds of interesting stuff going on here! Check it out.

My only complaint is that she uses a font that I find distracting...give me my staid old Times New Roman, thank you!

But then, this blog isn't for the staid.

RECENT POSTS:
--10 Days of Bullshit Challenge……….days 4 and 5~
Day 04- What do you lie about the most?
Day 05- Finish this sentence. If I could change one thing about myself it would be___________.
--Monday “ME” Hop Writing Prompt
--~~Tiki Hut Sunday & Day 3 of the Bullshit Challenge
(Day 03- An experience you’re not proud of, but has made you the person you are today.
)



_______________
Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth