Entrecard Top Droppers for January

For the last few months I've been missing out on Entrecard dropping due to a lot of offline work. I used to drop non-stop until the system tells me that I've already reached the maximum limit for the day. I'm thankful that my Entrefriends (I made it up, okay) still 'drop' by despite my inconsistent drop backs.

Now it's time to give out some link love for my Top Droppers for January. The number of drops are placed at the bottom right corner of their respective ECs. Do visit their great blogs!

Mr Soleh’s Outburst
LadyCoder
Programming Made Easy
verITableLIFE
Warcraft Blog
Lola's Diner
Windmill on the Hill
My World in My Own Word
C'est La Vie
Dunia soer

Thank you guys! Until the next Top Dropper Day! :)

Related Posts:

Entrecard 102: Next to the basics
My Entrecard Gratitude List
Entre... What?

If You Should Plagiarize…

Every writer knows how much work one puts into an article or post. It involves not only the mind, but most of the time, so goes the heart. Writing is a form of artistic expression; every article becomes a masterpiece because of the skill it necessitates.

We are often caught unaware when writer’s block strikes out of nowhere and there is a deadline to meet. So we pull our hair out and squeeze our brains, until such time that we find inspiration to weave our words again.

After rising above all the stress and pressure of being a normal writer, how would you feel if you see your work in somebody else’s site, with a stranger’s byline?

Crap.

Back in my school days, I remember doing experiments in Science class and answering three-page questionnaires about the activity. And everytime, my classmates who were lazy to construct their own hypothesis and conclusion copy from my work with my full consent. The thing is, after our papers have been checked by our teacher, they even end up getting higher grades compared to mine.

Crap.

Now, I’m having some kind of déjà vu in the blogosphere. There are still people just like my old classmates here; except that this time, they take without permission.

To those who belong to this group, let me give you a piece of my mind in times that you are tempted to, or if you should-- or must, plagiarize:

Use “these” please. Do not copy the article verbatim. There is nothing more annoying than seeing a person publish somebody else’s work as is (punctuation marks, typos and all) without having the courtesy to include its source. You may get inspiration from anybody’s work, but PLEASE don’t claim it solely as your own. This is where the “quotes” come in; use them generously whenever needed.

Thou shall not CTRL C, CTRL V. It’s not brain-draining to inject a little creativity to use your own words for your post. Give it your voice. Readers are intelligent enough to recognize if you are a copy-paste author writing to the tune of somebody else’s piece.

Have faith. If you were good enough to have your blog approved in paid to review sites, then there’s a good chance that you are also a writer in your own right. Believe in your talent and abilities.

Care to add your 2 cents here? :)


Related Posts:

From Paper to Puter
The Notebook(s)

“Smart Girls” Rock!

As a working mom like majority of women today, one of the things that I feel most guilty about is the fact that I’m not spending enough time with my daughter. No matter how I make up for lost time whenever I’m spending extra hours in the office, when I should already be home doing homework with her and watching her go to sleep, I feel the bonding activities that we do on weekends are not enough.

That is why when we do have time to spend together, I make it a point to maximize the quality of the moment with fun activities she like and a hundred hugs and kisses with constant assurance that she means the world to me.

Our typical bonding moment consists of dressing up Barbie dolls, playing with her other toys, reading stories, painting, singing, dancing, going to the mall, watching TV and playing games in the computer. I try to participate in every activity because I consider each one a good opportunity to motivate her to always do her best.

Speaking of motivation, I’m also planning to let her watch Amy Poehler’s newly-launched show, “Smart Girls”, through the Cozmo TV player. The show "celebrates extraordinary individuals who are changing the world by being themselves." What a great concept to feature talented young individuals who are big stars in their own right! I believe this show will inspire kids to discover their own passion and pursue them early, no matter how young they may be.

You can get your own widget here and post it to your blogs or other social networking sites. This is definitely worth sharing, so spread it around and inspire more!

A Rain of Tags and Awards

Have You Ever?

Ria tagged me with this fun meme. It lets you get to know the person who tagged you more, and you get to share something about yourself as well.

1. Have you ever been on TV?
Yes, I believe so. I was a student activist in college and participated in a lot of rallies that were covered on the evening news. I don't believe I'm telegenic, though. ^^

2. Have you ever sung in public?
A couple of times, during parties and videoke stints. Guts! Guts! :P

3. Have you ever dyed your hair blond?
Nah. I wouldn't dare in this lifetime. Lol

4. Have you ever eaten frogs' legs?
Yes, when I was still a kid. Interesting, because it tastes like chicken meat. ( I can almost hear Chestene saying "Ewwwww! Gross!")

5. Have you ever received a present that you really hated?
No. I love receiving all kinds of gifts. For me, it's always the thought that counts.

6. Have you ever walked into a lamp post? Not yet!

7. Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 15 people?
Whenever I cook, the dish usually feeds around that much. Except when they get a second serving, which usually happens. ;P

8. Have you ever fallen or stumbled in front of others?
I can't remember, but maybe when I was still a kid.

9. Have you ever done volunteer work?
When I was in college, I taught orphans and abused children under the care of the Tertiary Capuchin Sisters.

I'd like to know more about you Hailey, Nedekcir and Sheila. :)

The Gift of Friendship

That are tended with great care,

By those who work unselfishly

To make the place more fair.

And, like the garden blossoms,

Friendship’s flower grows more sweet

When watched and tended carefully

By those we know and meet.

And, if the seed of friendship

Is planted deep and true

And watched with understanding,

Friendship’s flower will bloom for you.

Thank you for being one of my good friends in the blogosphere, Cherry. I love this award! :) I'd like to pass this on to all my friends in the blogroll.

The Smile Award

I received this award from TopCat Creations. Thank you for thinking of me! :)

The qualifications to receive this award are:

A. Display a cheerful attitude.
B. Love one another.
C. Make mistakes.
D. Learn from others.
E. Be a positive contributor to the blog world.
F. Love life.
G. Love kids.

The Rules:

1. Please link back!
2. Post the rules
3. Choose 5 people to give it to
4. Recipients must fill the characteristics above
5. Create a post to share this
6. Thank the winners

Sorry if I'll break Rule #3 for this tag. I have to give this award to the one who always makes me smile online. Thanks, you deserve it! :-D

The Lemonade Award

My friends from The Matthias Chronicles, Anything goes, and Everything has a Reason gave me this very refreshing award. Thank you guys!

The rules of this award for recipients:

1.Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3.Be sure to link to your nominees within your post..
4.Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I would like to serve the same refreshing lemonade to the following bloggers: Shawie, Jade, Ris, Ruby, Sasha, Joan Joyce, Entrepgirl, Liza and Cherry.

I Love your Blog Award

Thank you Ronnie for passing this heart-warming award to my blog. I feel honored to be part of your list! :)

Here are the rules for passing on the award:

1. Put the logo on your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. Nominate at least seven other blogs
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog

Here are some of the blogs that I love reading:

HRM Business Practices and Notes, The Spitting Vessel, Tales of a Pinay Single Mom, Practical Tips for Young Urban Professionals, Mammadawg, YUPN, Matthias Chronicles and I Love/Hate America.

Super Blogger!

Liza thinks I'm a super blogger! Thanks Liz!

I think all of you deserve this award as well. So please grab the badge and spread the love! :) Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Fancy a Haircut?

It has always been said that the hair is a person’s crowning glory. Women and men alike who want to look their best, are always in continuous search for the perfect hairstyle and hair color to enhance their facial features.

We all want that professionally-done-salon-look, but it can be financially draining to maintain. Besides, a trip to the salon is always an experiment with no guaranteed results. The pragmatist in me thinks we could save a lot if we will invest in a hair cut video, and learn the newest techniques in hair cutting from there. Moreover, it could also become an income generating opportunity for others who could turn it into a business venture.

I know it’s not simple, and it would take a while to master the craft. But there are learn how to cut hair dvd instructional videos made by the experts in the industry, that are easy to follow and are packed with information on the latest trends. The new "Platform Artistry: Hair Cuts, Colors & Styles" DVD Series for Women, for instance, contains cutting, coloring and styling techniques straight from expert platform artist, Randy Topham.

Short Hairstyles

Short Hair Cuts | Haircut
Interested? You can check out good deals on the latest dvd hair cutting videos by calling 1-800-414-2434 or visiting www.VideoShelf.com.

First Love at McDonald's

A good friend of mine and I were talking about a miscellany of stuff about home, work and other whatnots last week, when she mentioned about the latest McDonald's TV commercial and how she thinks I can relate to its story.

“Umm, what commercial?”

I think I’m one of the few, if not, the only one who hasn’t viewed the said TVC on this side of the world. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t watch TV much. Aside from blogging and roaming around the malls, I spend my free time at home sleeping, endlessly fixing things in my room, reading, listening to music, drawing or doing other artsy stuff, and exchanging silly stories with big tickles with my Little Lady.

Though I occasionally sit for a while in the living room when the little one is watching Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place or The Fairly OddParents on cable, that’s the maximum extent of dosage I get from TV, aside from watching DVDs whenever time permits.

Curious, I searched the TVC on YouTube, and here is what I got:



She is right; I can somehow relate to the ad.

The lead characters were childhood friends. And then years after when they saw each other again, the girl already has a family (ouch). The emotion being presented in the end by both the guy and the girl signifies a hint of regret of what might have been. The guy, who was in love all the while, ended the TVC with the line: “At kahit hindi naging kami sa huli, siya pa rin ang first love ko.” (And although we didn’t end up together, she is still my first love).

Well, don’t we all have a bunch of tiny regrets for opportunities and chances in the past that passed us by? For those that we freely let go of and chose not to take, the ones that we wanted to take, but didn’t have enough courage to pursue, and for chances we took but didn’t turn out the way we wanted them to.

Hopefully, from this year on, we can seize and maximize every opportunity that comes our way in all areas of our life. Create them, if we must; not only for ourselves but for others as well. Give chance to all possibilities we can embrace.

Now, how did I relate to the ad again? *sighs*


Related Posts:

Birthday Fairy
Once Upon a Halloween
When I Miss Someone
Rainy Day Blues
Summer at McDonald's
The Art of Letting Go

Shoe Should Sue!

Have you read the latest news about Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker of ShoeMoney.com? I read a post on his blog about his infamous photo (the one holding the $132,994.97 Google Adsense check) being used to promote what is perceived by some to be one of the biggest scams online today – the Google Money Tree System.

Photo courtesy of ShoeMoney.com

According to him, the placement of the said screenshot ads appears to involve the Hydra Network or one of its affiliates, and they are in no way associated with it. The ads were prominently and strategically placed across biggies like huffingtonpost.com, espn.com, myspace.com and foxnews.com, so you could just imagine how much exposure it has already been given.

The guy is well known in the blogosphere and has good following. Given that fact, it’s not surprising that a lot of people have already been lured and misled by the supposed “endorsement” in just a short time.

If I were in Shoe’s shoes, I’d sue for sure!

It sounds like a tongue twister, but the perpetrator deserves a big bad lawsuit for smearing somebody's name and reputation. Apart from that, a press release is also in order to clear the issue and the names of those involved. I would also suggest dedicating a section in the homepage of his blog regarding its progress, along with other updates for everyone’s reference. From there, he can ask for support from fellow bloggers who are willing to spread the word and blog about it, to warn others as well.

How about you? What would you do?

The Project that Turned not so Wonderful

I am making this post to extend my apology to my advertisers in Project Wonderful. I’m very thankful for the trust you’ve placed in my blog to help promote your sites, products and services, but the network no longer sees it fit to continue serving ad spaces at the moment.

After almost 9 months of being a publisher, my ad boxes were deleted without warning, due to this reason:

“During a routine review of our publishers, this ad box was found to be violating our Terms of Service and/or failing to meet our publisher standards, and was therefore removed from our network.”

I wish they have specifically stated what violation has been committed, because to the best of my understanding, my blog complies with the TOS. I was about to draft a one page rant letter when I read the publisher guidelines. It turns out that they are not too thrilled with blogs that post sponsored content.

Fine.

Well, without a doubt, that must be ‘it’. I don’t know if this part is new, or I just missed reading it when I signed up. You know how lazy some people are in reading the fine print (including me!).

Anyways, maybe it’s time to try and move on to other networks or just devise my own ad placement system. Whatever I end up doing, I hope you’ll still be there to support this site. :)

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Be an Action AllStar!

I’m not much of a sports fan. Among all sports, I only enjoyed watching basketball and playing volleyball when I was younger. My latest sports involvement was the badminton tournament we had last year at the office.

I hope my little girl grows up to be more sports inclined than I am. Apart from a few sports activities she’s currently doing in school, I think a virtual sports game will help her get familiarized with more activities she might be playing in the future, in the real world.

Just recently, I was able to try for free, a cool sports-themed virtual world for kids. But I had to test run the game myself before introducing it to my daughter, as I’m very particular about being safe online. I created an athlete named KCEE and here’s my customized avatar:

I must say that I’m very pleased with their safety and privacy features. The parent is notified about the child’s membership application, and activation will only take place upon link confirmation. He/she can then create a Parent Account to supervise the child’s membership. The game uses Safe Chat and Safe Chat Plus, for message filtering and blocking; allowing the exchange of pre-approved words and phrases and blocking non approved words, phone numbers and other personal info among members. I also found out that current ActionAllStars.com partners include MLB.com (MLBAM), NBA.com (National Basketball League), and ConnectSafetly.org.

ActionAllStars.com made me feel like a kid again! I can’t believe I got lost in the game and had so much fun. :) There is a map where you can find different playing venues to choose from. I tried to play in the Baller’s Hall, Vert Village and Home Turf, where I made friends and met other athletes who even swapped trading cards with me. Icons with several functions are also placed at the bottom of the screen for easy navigation.

I’m sure my little girl will have a great time playing this fun game. You might want to check it out as well, it’s safe for kids and best of all you can play for free!

A Celebration of Love

Before I proceed with this post, I would like to greet everyone a magnificent year ahead, free of troubles in mind, body, heart and spirit! With fervent prayers, I hope that this year will be great for all of us.

As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, after Dad’s birthday every December 3rd, comes Christmas, Mom’s birthday on January 3rd, and their wedding anniversary the following day. Imagine the dilemma my sister and I have to go through every single year in finding 4 different sets of gifts for Dad and 3 for Mom, in a span of a little over a month. It’s true that gifts for people you love most are hardest to find, but every year, I’m glad we survive. :)

This year is more special, as it marks the 40th wedding anniversary of our beloved parents.

Forty years!

In this day and age, where staying married for five years is already considered a significant milestone, their union is truly a blessing.

My parents did not have a grand wedding; my Mom just wore a simple yellow above-the-knee dress and veil, while Dad wore a short-sleeved polo barong on their wedding day. They did not even have a simple reception afterward due to very limited finances. After the ceremony and well wishes, all the guests went home.

It was a quiet and solemn ceremony sans the luxury of weddings today, and yet, the blessing bonded them for 40 years. I can’t help but be amazed.

So what’s the big secret?

Whenever Mom hears the story of couples who postpone getting married in Church due to lack of budget for a grand banquet, the release of hundreds of butterflies after the ceremony, the fireworks, the video and photo package from a well-known photographer and other modern wedding works, she couldn’t help but shake her head and relive the memories of her own wedding.

Truly, the quality of marriage a couple has, is not determined by the fancy bridal clothes they wore on their wedding day, the number of guests fed with the sumptuous feast, being featured in the newspaper Lifestyle section as Wedding of the Year, the stature of their godparents in the society, or how many thousands and millions were spent on that one day affair.

Marriage is man, woman and God. The union only needs God’s blessing and the couple’s love, loyalty and commitment to be partners for life to make it last. Sounds simple, but it will take a world of sacrifice to make it work.

A single woman’s perspective may not sound credible at this point. But having witnessed my parents’ married life and all kinds of trials they went through and survived, gives me enough confidence to apply what I’ve learned from them to make my own marriage work, when the perfect time comes.

Yes, although married friends and even strangers always tell me I'm lucky to be single, I still believe in the sanctity of marriage. Mom and Dad, not fairy tales, made me believe that there can actually be a happily ever after.

For the best parents in the world:

Happy 61st birthday, Mom and a blessed 40th wedding anniversary to you and Dad! May your union be stronger, more blissful, today and beyond!

Best wishes and congratulations!


Related Posts:

Celebrating Life!
An Officer and a Gentleman
The Best Mom in the World