All posts by The Artist

Funny Disclosure Trend

There’s this trend now that I noticed from all my blog hopping activities that I find rather funny. We used to DISCLOSE when we are compensated for the post in cash or kind but now that most active blog for pay bloggers have half the blog with sponsored posts, a quarter with link-free original posts and the rest of the posts with a link or two, bloggers now see the need to DISCLOSE when there is a non-compensated free link.

What a joke it has become.

Well, there wasn’t such a need in the first place if we were not getting so many misunderstandings about getting compensated or not. But then I guess now bloggers see the need to be safe than sorry and getting sponsored posts rejected, so they DISCLOSE first, but in the reverse order.

But then you can’t blame bloggers when linking is second nature, paid or not!!

Think Big Sites – Website Optimization Firm

While surfing the internet just now, I chanced upon a website optimization firm called Think Big Sites. I thought the name of the company was rather unique so I decided to check it out.

This company is not only a website optimization firm but also offers web hosting, web designing and also website and blog marketing.

I have always thought that the internet is too large with millions of websites and new sites being set up on a daily basis that it is very competitive to garner the traffic needed to sustain the profitability of a commercial site.

However, I guess that with services like those that are offered by Think Big Sites, a fully optimized website could stay ahead of the pack. Think Big Sites is confident that they could place their clients’ sites on the top ten of major search engines, which means a first page placing of competitive keywords.

I checked out the portfolio of Think Big Sites and am thoroughly impressed with the designs they created for their clients. With websites, not only must they be visually appealing, they also must be search engine optimized and Think Big Sites is confident they are able to provide that and more.

If you have a website struggling for attention, you may want to check out the magic touch of Think Big Sites! I bet you will be impressed with the results.

Debt Relief and Credit Card Consolidation Help

I got to know that a friend of mine is heavily in debt. I was surprised as he is a high earner in the top management level of his company and YET he is still in debt. I am of course sorry to hear that he is in serious financial trouble but I cannot help him by lending money to him.

I can however, try to help him to change his ways so that he can manage his finances better. I also found a website for him so that he could read up on debt relief and perhaps request for a consultation. It’s free, after all and he definitely NEEDS it!

I also told him that since most of his debt is from his numerous credit cards, it is best that he get a credit card consolidation. Some people say this is not a good idea but I think that he could get a lower interest rate and improve his credit score and also it is better to take care of one debt than to have to take care of various debts throughout the month.

It is a shame that an adult like him that be such a poor personal financial manager. I think that it is to his best interest to seek help. We don’t want his superiors to know about it or he may lose his job and then get into a worse financial fix than he already is in!

I Was Attacked

Last month or so, I wrote on my blog about discovering a website, structuredsettlement-quotes.com, and something called structured settlements. I have not even heard of structured settlements prior to that, and I thought that this is something that some people I know should be aware of, that they have an option to get some cash on hand if they are so desperate. I mean, it IS better than getting a short term loan from loan sharks where the interest rate snowballs. Don’t you think so?

Anyway, after publishing that post, a stranger came to my blog and checked out my post and archives and the About Me page and left a lengthy comment, which I did not publish, of course.

He then went to his blog and ATTACKED ME. I mean, my blog is mine and I can write whatever I want. I am certainly not an expert in structured settlements like he professes himself to be.

I am not surprised if he has set his Google Alert to alert him of the term “structured settlement” or even the name of this company. I bet he will be coming over here and shoot at me again.

What he failed to recognize is that the article that I wrote was an opinion piece. Never did I claim to be an authority on structured settlements or mislead my readers. But no, he is making himself like a cyber police cracking down on people even mentioning the name of the company or the keyword.

Bah! He THINKS he is a cyber police only. The funny thing was that he mixed up myself with my buddy, Samm. kah kah kah!

Are You Addicted To The Internet?

I am not sure if there are people who spend more time on the internet than me. I mean, I’m online at least twenty hours of the day and night and the mouse is the first thing I touch when I wake up and the last thing I touch before I fall asleep. Well, it used to be the last, until my Nokia E61i came along and then I go online in bed, until I fall asleep! Hahaha

So I came across this BlogThings quiz while blog hopping and I got curious because I am very certain that I am addicted to the internet until there is no cure for me.

I did the quiz with bated breath as honestly as I could and lookie here the results!


You Are 77% Addicted to the Internet

In your opinion, life without the internet is hardly worth living.
Could be, but you probably need a bit more fresh air and sunshine to think clearly.

See!! I am ONLY 77% addicted to the internet, I thought I could easily score above 90%. Phewww I am not as bad as I thought I am! lalalalala What about you? Dare you try this quiz? Let me know your score!

The Ultimate Yellow Pages

As an active internet user, not a day goes by without me making a search for one information or another but the problem starts when I have to switch search engines because no matter how comprehensive the search results are, there are still some listings that will only appear on one search engine and not the other.

I discovered the Ultimate Yellow Pages today and unlike the major search engines that I have used all along, Radiux will search across major sites including eBay, Craigslist, Amazon and Overstock. This really saves time especially when you are looking for quick information.

According to the Radiux website, all members who use the site have a chance to earn money just by utilizing the features. Radiux will pay members up to 90 cents for every dollar generated through advertisements and affiliate programs. Well, getting paid to do what we are already doing daily sure sounds like fun.

I think that even if you do not use the search engines as much as I do, as long as you are an internet user, you should check out Radiux an be compensated for your online activities!

Is The Google Page Rank Here Yet?

Much has been said about Google Page Rank updating at the end of July. Well, that has come and gone and it’s already going to be the end of August! Has it come yet or hasn’t it? I read that some people has a better page rank now while some blogs were assigned a lower Page Rank. Oh boy!

Checking my traffic stats, I get a lot of visits from Google bots checking all my links but then I do not see a change in my Page Rank at all. Don’t tell me it’s going to be a Three again :(

A Four would make so much difference to my blog for pay efforts. At least I would not have to write so many posts every day even though I would have to keep networking.

It is true that “If you look at what you do not have in life, you don’t have anything. If you look at what you have in life, you have everything.” *sigh*