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I'm a wife, mother and grandmother. I'm opinionated. I contradict myself frequently. Most of all, I love my kids. I believe in them. I fight for them. They're weird and wonderful. If you want to know more, here's a bunch of other stuff from my old site.

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Archive for the ‘News’ Category

RockStartUp Still Going Strong!

Way back in 2006, I told my readers about a brand new company, PayPerPost, it’s founder Ted Murphy and the ongoing video documentary of this company’s rise to fame. Could it have been that long ago?

And then in July of 2007, I reminded all of you again about this ultimate internet reality show and even provided a their 20th episode for all of you to see. Imagine that! When critics claimed the RockStartUp.com site wouldn’t last, did they even imagine it would hit 20 episodes?

Okay, well how about 43 episodes? Because that’s how many there are now. In fact, Episode 43 chronicles the first leg of the Blog America Tour featuring several Posties and a couple of real cute Postie kids.

Just between us, one of the things I love about Izea, parent company of PayPerPost, is the way they engage their Posties (an affectionate term for the bloggers who work with PayPerPost) in every aspect of the business. While developing the all new PayPerPost marketplace, codenamed Argus, Ted put out a call to Posties everywhere, inviting them to be part of a focus group at the company’s offices in Florida. And once again, all was documented on video for the world to see.

This episode of RockStartUp is number 41. Watch it carefully and see if you can pick out the Posties!

Have You Joined Thoof?

I’m always on the lookout for new sites that offer news and information. I especially enjoy sites that have a collaborative aspect to them. Tell me what everyone else is reading or watching! Want to really grab my attention and keep me coming back for more? Remember what I like so I’m getting personalized news. If you let me edit the listings to make them sound better, you’ve won me over for life.

Uh… I think I just described Thoof.com. The more I use this site, the more I like it. That’s because this site remembers what I like and fills my page with similar stories. Because of that, there’s always something on my Thoof.com page that interests me.

As with all excellent community websites, this one utilizes tags. If I’m reading about a celebrity, for example, and want to read more celebrity stories, I can simply click the tag below the headline and description to be taken to more stories with that tag.

If you’re looking for something specific, there’s a search box at the top right of the page. Enter a topic, a tag or a keyword to find exactly what you want to read. Put in YouTube to find the videos that people think are worth sharing. Enter Angelina Jolie to find an article with a picture of a very young Angelina.

Oh, and you can enter your own stories, too. That’s right, share what you like with others. Just sign up and start sharing and finding great stories, articles and news reports. You may even find a few new blogs and sites that you’ll want to bookmark. The stuff being submitted to Thoof.com is that good!

One Year Ago

On March 14, 2006, heavy rains combined with the evil greed of one man to turn this island paradise into a devastating tragedy. The details of that day are well documented online so I won’t elaborate too much. For those who are unaware of the details, a reservoir broke loose, and poured more than 300 million gallons of water through the valley. Two homes were destroyed; seven lives were lost.

ABC’s 20/20 recently aired a segment on the reservoir break and the attempt to bring James Pflueger to justice. To this day, the man will not admit his guilt or any responsibility in the tragedy.

As an outsider, a mere visitor to this island, I am appalled that money can allow this kind of thing to happen without punishment. I am sad for those who call Kauai home.

I understand the resentment some feel toward those who would develop and over develop this land, to the point where property is so over priced that those who grew up here cannot afford to remain. I cannot imagine not being able to afford a small home in my own home town. And yet, that is how it is here. The wealthy mainlanders come and are willing to pay millions for less than an acre of ground. How can an average Hawaiian afford those kinds of prices?

Since the first day I stepped foot on this island, I have wanted to live here. Over the years, nothing has changed. Even now, a week away from my departure, my heart is heavy and pounding. If I allow myself to breathe, the tears will flow. I don’t want to leave. This, more than any other place I’ve been, feels like home.

Tonight, Jesse drove me to the place where the waters poured out of the Ka Loko Dam and onto Kuhio Highway. I snapped a picture of the homes still standing and the rich red dirt left behind. And I cried.

Now, like everyone else, I wait for justice.

A Vacation From?

I never thought I’d say this. I never thought I could do it. Those who know me best and love me anyway would be surprised.

I’ve been taking a vacation from the news.

Seriously. Since we’ve been in Hawaii, I’ve watched approximately 15 minutes of national news. Usually, I have Fox News airing all day, sometimes on two different TVs. Only the TV in the family room is not showing the news because that one always has Dora or Diego playing. :)

So, my friends, have I missed anything? Do we know yet how Anna Nicole died? Do we know who the father of her baby is? Has that Couey monster in Florida been convicted and sentenced yet? Is there any other news that I’ve missed? Presidential election stuff, maybe? Come on! There has to be something going on in the world.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if there is absolutely no news in those situations before I get back home? Just goes to show you how much “nothing” fills the news shows each day, doesn’t it?

More Traffic, More Money

PayPerPost, the premier blog marketing company, has rolled out a fantastic update that rewards bloggers for consistant quality and high traffic. That’s right, the more traffic your blog gets, the more money you can make with PayPerPost. How much more money? Well, depending on your page rank and other rating systems, you could make as much as $1000 for a single post!

Now, I admit I don’t qualify for $1000 opp just yet, but I like to set goals and I’m determined to meet that one. I’m doing well with PayPerPost now, with just a PR5, because PayPerPost charges advertisers just 35% service fee unlike the 100% markup that ReviewMe charges. So yeah, this is the best place for making the highest amount of money. No one tops PayPerPost when it comes to rewarding bloggers.

It’s important to note, also, that PayPerPost now requires full disclosure on individual blog posts as well as a site-wide dislosure policy. This has brought transparancy to blog advertising and ensures that this model will grow and flourish.

Advertisers, too, have greater control over their ad campaigns with the release of segmentation. Advertisers can select the desired minimum PR, the maximum Alexa score and a specific catagory or catagories for their advertisment. They can also rate bloggers from one to five and select a rating number they prefer for their campaign.

PayPerPost has listened to advertisers and bloggers alike to make this the blog marketing model that will withstand the test of time.

PayPerPost to launch disclosure badges, new tools; targets top 100 blogge

ZDNet.com’s Larry Dignan interviews Ted Murphy, CEO of PayPerPost, about a huge rollout of new features for advertisers and bloggers scheduled for the first of next week. Can Murphy attract the interenet’s top bloggers?

Finally, an interview that’s really fair and intelligent.

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