Marisa's Dandelion Patch » Community

Stop The Abuse!

Marisa — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 21:21:22 +0000

When I started blogging back in 2000, it was relatively new and didn’t get much attention. Now, even politicians pay attention to the bloggers and mainstream media keep a watchful eye on the “blogosphere” for news and public opinion. We have become quite a force.

The question, then, is whether we are a force for good, for bad or for… nothing. If we matter, if we’ve achieved some level of power, what are we doing with that power? And if each blogger has power, then how much more power would a large group of bloggers have? Those are the questions. The answer is Bloggers Unite.

Initiated by the folks at BlogCatalog, the Bloggers Unite movement is all about harnessing our collective power to speak up and stand up for one issue. In July, bloggers joined together to blog about Organ Donation and the gift of life. Now, bloggers are again joining together to blog about another important cause: Abuse.

On September 27, 2007, thousands of bloggers will join together to blog about stopping abuse. The type of abuse is according to your own passions. It could be domestic abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, or even drug abuse. Whatever your passion, which ever abuse you want to see ended, blog about that.

This takes no more than a few minutes of your time. There’s no money involved, just a desire to join with others to bring awareness to all types of Abuse in our world. The more of us who speak out, the more likely our voices will be heard.

Please feel free to grab one of the graphics that are being donated or even create one of your own for others to use. Pop into the Stop Abuse discussion and let us know that you’re planning on joining. We can be a powerful force… for good.

Free Online Dating

Marisa — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 03:41:41 +0000

I know quite a few people who have joined online dating sites. I know a number of people who met their Significant Other online and are quite happy, still. I’m not in the market for a date – I am, after all, married – but I thought this site might be of interest to a few of my friends.

What sets Just Say Hi apart from so many other services is that it’s completely free. After a quick 60-second sign up, you can start browsing and searching. Just Say Hi makes Online Dating quick, easy and affordable. No credit care required, ever!

They even offer a great community forum for chatting and getting to know each other. That’s really a nice way to start out before you take the plunge and add a picture and profile. I have a couple people in mind right now who might be interested in this site. I won’t mention their names but I’m sending this link to them. This is a no-risk way to meet new people. And who knows where that may lead?

Woman Savers

Marisa — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 22:34:03 +0000

I’m going out on a limb and guessing that every woman has been cheated at some point in her life. And I’ll go further and guess that everyone knows at least one person who has been abused, verbally, emotionally or physically.

For the record, I know that women cheat, too. I know that women can be abusive, too. I would never insinuate otherwise. However, WomanSavers is about assisting women in moving on from abusive or cheating men. And frankly, I know quite a few women who could benefit from the site. Heck, I could have benefitted from the site 3 decades ago, before I met my husband.

Perhaps the most important section of the whole website is the excellent information for abused women. Not all women know where to turn for help and this page meets that need. The list here is comprehensive and offers such a variety of agencies that there’s no reason to click away without finding help.

The site also offers a nice selection of self-awareness quizzes and really friendly message boards. And naturally, since it’s a site geared toward women, there’s a shopping section. Cute stuff, there.

The area of the site that held my interest, though, was the Search-a-Guy section. Yes, you can search for guys that other ladies may have entered by name or location. I don’t know why I did it but I had to see if I knew anyone in the database. The easiest way to do that was to search a location. First try, I got a hit. Yes, I knew someone listed although not in a romantic relationship way. Very interesting nevertheless.

I’m not sure that I’d take the comments there about specific guys at face value. Sometimes, men and women can be vengeful after a breakup. And yet, a warning about a truly dangerous or toxic man can prove to be a blessing. As well, the site offers some excellent advice, especially for those who are abused.

My Two Cents

Marisa — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 04:00:40 +0000

I’m a political junkie. I can watch anyone on TV talking politics whether I agree or not. Sometimes I scream and yell at the TV and sometimes I nod in agreement. I always pay attention and I think for myself. I’ve never heard a political speech that I agreed with 100%. I think that’s a good thing.

When I was finally able to get an internet connection in my small community, I was ecstatic! It took me less than two days to find places online to talk politics. I met people who agreed with me and people who didn’t. Frankly, I learn more from those who disagree with me. They make me think. They make me organize my thoughts and analyze my reasoning. Yeah, my debate opponents are my friends because they keep me on my toes.

If you’re like me and enjoy debating today’s hottest political speeches, have I got a place for you! Seriously, Politics will never be the same.. Rebutter.com lets you read current political speeches and then comment on them. You post your comments and others vote on the ones they like. In the same style as Digg, the highest vote-getters rise to the top to appear next to the very words of the politician.

Rebutter is a social community, again like digg, but this is all about politics. With a presidential election looming, Rebutter.com could easily help to shape the future of our country. While the site is new and the community still small, I can see this site impacting our coming election as the word about it gets out.

If you read about Rebutter.com here and decide to sign up and rebut a speech, please add a comment and let me know. I’ll get over there and vote for you!

LoudLaunch – Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

A Forum For Learning

Marisa — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 18:33:06 +0000

Although not as old as online Bulletin Boards or IRC, online forums have been around for quite some time. I’ve belonged to quite a few over the years, each with its own personality. Yeah, a forum has a personality, usually based upon the person or group setting it up as well as those who are members.

Of course, there are some common traits with all forums as well. All have a set of standard rules that members agree to. All make carrying on a conversation over a period time a little easier than IRC or other chat platforms. All are based on sharing information, ideas and knowledge.
I guess that’s what I love most about online forums. I love being able to build relationships by giving and receiving help and assistance. I love to be able to share my knowledge or learn about something that has always interested me.

Whether I’m at a web design site, trying to find a better way to lay out a webpage with CSS or skimming through a Poker Forum, looking for information about the best sites for online Poker games, I know there are people who are willing to help me out.

Maybe I’m most amazed at the number of people online who are just waiting to share what they know for no other reason than the desire to help others. I guess that proves the point that there are still a lot of good people out there, wanting to help others. I guess it proves that the human race is doing okay, and that the good guys still outnumber the bad guys.