All posts by The Artist

Computing & Internet

Printing Quality Postcards Cheaply

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I was thinking of printing postcards for promotional purposes. I have a very good printer myself and thought that since I don’t use that so often this is a chance to use it because I was told that the printer head will clog if I do not use it for a long time and it would be very costly to replace.

However, my friend says that I must be crazy. You see, my printer uses DuraBrite ink and that is the most costly printer ink at the moment. He said that I should leave postcard printing to the professionals and leave my printer for home use.

According to him, it is only $150 to print a thousand pieces 4.25 X 5.5 cards and a thousand pieces of the largest cards at 6 X 9 would only cost me $250. Can I get this price printing them myself? Definitely no. Besides, since I never printed postcards before, I would only be wasting ink AND paper when I could just pass this task to the pros and receive my full color front and back postcards with high gloss UV lamination, which comes free, if I would just request for it.

I thought I would make a comparison with other online printers but my friend says that this is already a good deal so why waste time?

Blogging

Walking On Eggs Or Glass??

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This afternoon, I had some sponsored posts to complete and those who know me know that I have many blog posts on Drafts written at various times that I don’t actually remember the contents until I publish them, since I am rushing and have no time to read the post in its HTML state.

Anyway, just after publishing a PPP opp, I published a post from my Draft folder. When it was published, I realised that it has a link on the post. I actually thought to myself, “Eh, there’s a link here and although it’s not a paid link, the reviewer of the PPP opp may misunderstand.” I certainly have no energy to get my post rejected for something like that and the proof that it is not a paid link. I mean, how is it possible to proof that a link is a non pad link, right?

So, I had to tuck it back into my Draft folder and publish another post that is totally link free.

Actually, this isn’t so big a deal but to have to stop myself and put myself in the eyes of the reviewer who may think that I have violated their Terms of Service, I really feel uncomfortable. Is this still my blog?? Why do I have a fear that I am violating something when I totally have not?

I can’t decide if I’m walking on eggs or glass. You tell me ….

Computing & Internet

Booking Vacation Rentals Through Tiny Surfer

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I found this website just now when I was surfing, called Tiny Surfer. This is a like a classifieds site where vacation rental owners could list their property for offer to holiday makers. What makes Tiny Surfer special is that they are offering Free vacation rental listings where other similar sites are charging at least $200. Moreover, members on Tiny Surfer are also able to post photos as they like and describe their property in as long a description as they wish. In short, this is just like Craigslist but with an overall much improved user interface!

For example, checking out the page of Telluride vacation rental, you can see large thumbnails, name or the property and a short description.

My friends have plans to go to Hawaii for a honeymoon next month and I know that they would appreciate knowing about Tiny Surfer. The have been telling me that they are going to take a vacation rental because they have heard that it is a very popular now as opposed to putting up at a hotel. Luckily trom Tiny Surfer, they could also book their vacation rental directly and without hassle!

Blogging

Why Don’t You Start More Blogs?

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I know a few of my fellow blog for pay colleagues have been starting new blogs almost every month. I applaud their effort. As for me, I don’t really want to start new blogs but I would like to work on my existing blog. I need to spend more time on networking, on leaving comments, to letting friends and family know of my blogs and put them on business cards.

Many of my friends are surprised that my family does not know of my blogs. I don’t know what will happen if one day they come across my blogs. Of course, this blog is fine but I have some other blogs that are personal and I do write a lot of things in a no holds barred manner and are not fit for my family to read.

Also, the fact that I do not let people who are close to me know about my blogs is because I would like to continue to have the freedom to write as freely as I could. I believe I can’t do that with people who know me could read my thoughts.

I would most probably abandon my blog if it is discovered by people close to me. I have even saved some posts into drafts when a friend of mine found out lol I think I am silly!

Anyway, instead of starting new blogs, I would rather work on raising my Google Page Rank and traffic. Does this make sense?

Computing & Internet

British English Langauge Courses

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Recently, there have been complaints that international bloggers do not have a good grasp of the English language. Surely our English is not the same as the Americans simply because of the fact that their English is American while ours is British.

But let’s not argue over whose English is better. There’s this website called Answering English that offers English courses that everyone could enroll in whether we are looking to improve on our English due to business, studies or just for our self-esteem.

Americans are probably not keen to learn English UK style but it is an added advantage to study the difference in American and British English.

From the website, it is said that all courses are taught in London. I wonder if they will be giving courses online in the near future.

In The News

The Case of Madeleine McCann

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Some months back, my father received an email from his business associate with the photo of Madeleine McCann and an appeal to help search for her. My dad was totally confused and he thought that the girl was the niece of the person who forwarded the email to him. You see, my dad is not very internet savvy. As for me, I did not personally receive that email that was being circulated, but I was totally skeptical and not sure if the story about the missing girl was true.

Anyway, now the police are saying that the parents may be guilty of accidentally killing Madeleine McCann. I am not going to be judgmental and say they did it because until the court says so, they are still innocent until proven guilty.

What I would like to know is, and it has happened recently in Malaysia, how could a parent kill his/her own child, accidentally or other wise? I also fail to understand, in the Ooi Ying Ying case, how could the mother cook up a story to protect the boyfriend who had killed Ooi Ying Ying?

To my innocent mind, although I am not married and do not have children, the only person who could kill another, whether the victim is of blood relation or not, is someone who is mentally unstable OR on drugs, and worse, BOTH. Now, I am saying KILL and not die in an accident, OK?

And then there’s the case of the boy who killed the daughter of his tuition teacher, who was recently released from juvenile detention. I seriously cannot understand why he could do it and is certified mentally normal. There seriously is something wrong.

Blogging, Computing & Internet

New Contextual Link Building Services

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Since joining a couple of companies that offer Contextual Links Building services, I have been on the look out for more companies so that I can sign up as a publisher. The latest company to join this new media consumer generated advertising in contextual link building through blogs is Inetzeal.com.

Inetzeal offers three different contextual link building packages ranging in price from $250 to $325. Each package includes 30 original blog posts with a minimum length of 200 up to 400 words with three to four links and deep links in post pointing to the client’s site. It is very important to ensure that such posts are relevant to the client’s site in terms of post topic and blog theme and published in blogs of various Google Page Ranks, with Page Rank 2 at the lowest to offer maximum value, benefit and effective search engine placement for their specific keywords.

Clients who are not that savvy and do not know which keywords to target, although they are allowed a maximum of ten keywords per package bought, can leave that to the hands of professionals of Inetzeal.

Although I am a publisher for many different contextual link building marketplaces, Inetzeal is different from all the rest because all packages come with a fixed THIRTY posts only and the length per post is set at 200 – 400 words. Also, no disclosure is required since contextual link placement, if written well, does not constitute advertising.