I have been looking for a digital camera for a long time now but could not decide on which to buy. I mean, there are so many new models coming out that I could hardly catch up with the latest technology. I keep asking my friends who are semi-professional photographers because I thought that they could help me but then they told me to check the review. They said that a digital camera is personal preference and they can’t decide for me. Bah… I hate making decisions. I also have to read digital camera reviews now.

Previously, I don’t really like reading reviews because they are so technical and I don’t even understand what the terms means but my sister told me to check out digital camera reviews on Test Freaks because they are written in plain everyday language. She said that she bought her Olympus based on reviews on Test Freaks and have been satisfied with her purchase.

I will certainly check the site out. If my sister, who is technology challenged, finds the reviews helpful, then I would too. I like to believe that I am technologically savvier than her!

Last night, a friend told me about a fairly new blog directory called Alive Blog Directory. I went to check it out and realize that it is the sub-section of the established Alive Web Directory. I thought it was launched not too long ago but I am surprised that the directory already has many submissions.

I guess my friend has been fed-up with me complaining that I do not have the time to network and build the readership and popularity of my blogs, plus soliciting link backs to build my Google Page Rank. I know it is my own fault for running so many blogs!

My friend told me that I could list my blogs on the blog directory and with the aggressive online advertising that Alive Blog Directory is doing, I would only have much to gain for my blogs thanks to the increased exposure.

I have actually submitted my blogs to many blog directories BUT the problem I faced was not knowing which category to place my blogs in. I see that should I decide to submit my links to Alive Blog Directory, I would not have such a problem because of its comprehensive list of blog categories to cater to all types of blogs.

Currently, Alive Blog Directory offers two listing packages; Standard and Featured. From these two, we can opt for a yearly subscription or a permanent placement.

My friend advised me to get the permanent submission as it is cheaper in the long run PLUS as the popularity of Alive Blog Directory increases, the rates may be revised, so I have to act early.

The other day, while I was blog hopping, I saw quite a few people using the Chip In widget to solicit donations from readers so that they could buy items on their wish list. I am not sure if there are readers who would donate, chip in or buy the blogger a cup of coffee or a jug of beer.

I thought I would put one up too since I am raising funds to buy a digital camera and a laptop but then we are required to provide our PayPal address to enable receipt of funds.

I also wanted to test if there are people who would chip in to me, a blogger who is not exceptionally popular and neither a blogger without readers.

Anyway, since they require our PayPal address, I thought better of it.. Who knows if there will be people who would misuse it, if it is possible. We won’t know till it happens and what recourse do we have?

I think I am better off buying them on my own.

As I have mentioned in my blog, I have two dogs and I am interested in everything that are dog related. I spend a considerable about of time surfing the internet checking out products that may help my dogs and raise their standard of living. They are, after all, 12.5 years old already, so I want to do my best for them while I still can.

Just now, I came across this online store, Signature K9, which specializes in selling dog training related equipment, trailers, kennels and crates. One of the items that caught my fancy is the doggles, which means DOGGIE GOGGLES 😀

Although the items available at Signature K9 are most suited for dogs in agility courses and other working dogs like those involved in search and rescue, I know that the doggles would also benefit domestic dogs that have protruding eyeballs.

I have come across THREE times where such dogs were involved in domestic accidents which caused their eyeball to be dislodged and end up blind in one eye. I think that with doggles, such unfortunate incidents could be avoided.

Anyway, Signature K9, is not only an online store but is also a resource site which dog-related information and where dog lovers and handlers could converge to dog talk at the forum.

There is a photo gallery too. It currently has a few photos only but I am looking forward to it when it is expanded. I simple love all kinds of dogs, what can I say? 😀

I remember a few months ago that my sister told me she found a store that carries the widest range of residential mailboxes and curbside decor she has ever seen. According to my sister, this company has just launched an affiliate program where members could direct potential buyers to the site and if a purchase is made within thirty days, members would receive commission as much as 12% irrespective of the size or the order.

My sister is considering joining because just by signing up, she would be credited with $20 to kick start her account.

She said that since there are so many people who are impressed with her mailbox and curbside decor and many of these people are very happy with their mailboxes, she might as well earn some pocket money recommending people to buy from this company.

She said that she is hoping that she could introduce clients who would order commercial mailboxes in a large scale then only would she really see the money. I told her she would have t work harder still if that is her goal!

If you are a Gmail user, you would know that they have this Auto Save feature in their Compose window. And since I blog so much, I draft all my blog posts with Gmail’s Compose and then only transfer my posts to my respective blogs.

To cut the long story short, I was composing my blog posts as usual this morning using Gmail, and then I do not know what happened, my browser just froze and then when I check my Draft folder, my whole blog content was missing! I did save my draft like I normally would with a long email and even if I did not, it will auto-save every minute or not.

I have used this feature since I discovered Gmail and it has saved me from retyping my posts many times especially when the power suddenly went down or the browser acts up or whatever and I have always managed to salvage my composition.

However, this time, it screwed up and I lost almost a thousand words worth of blogging and I was pretty pissed that I had to redo it and redo it fast while the ideas were still fresh in my mind.

And when I was forced to redo something and typing everything pissed, I was not satisfied with my writing anymore. I could read that I have lost that passion in my article. Boy, I hope it never happens again!

As you may know, my uncle has been pushing me to get that all important tertiary education. I know I am a failure in his eyes because he is a respected educationist in the country and here I am with only a high school certificate to show. However, it really is not my fault!

Recently, I told him that I am way to old to study and I have no more time to hit the books. I would rather take up some courses that are relevant to my real job. My uncle could not think of anything that I would like and in the end, he just showed me the link to Fast Class, which is an online directory of schools that offer online courses in many different fields, like insurance, mortgage, appraisal and real estate classes, just to name a few.

I checked the site out and it looks like continuing my education is not that difficult, since I could study online and at my own pace. Hondros Learning is providing all these courses with the support of top schools in the country to enable students to receive the highest quality of education they can get.

I know that my uncle is pushing for my commitment before I get older and disinterested in taking a course, and also for the betterment of myself and advancement in my career. He believes that FastClass would be able to give me what I am seeking. I am going to seriously look for the most suitable course to take and hope that with the help of Fast Class, I will be able to achieve what I set out for myself.