My Opinion Counts

We used to think that no follow was a good thing. We thought it would stop spamming. Unfortunately it doesn't. We might as well use follow and get the benefit of people
leaving comments getting the link! Drew and Jenn both put me on the "D" list because I use the Do follow plugin. It does no good, as far as increasing PR, to leave comments on blogs that use no-follow. So start using the Do-follow plugin!

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1.Write a short paragraph at the beginning of your post and link back to the blog that put you on the list in the paragraph. This isn’t a suggestion. You need to break up the duplicate content. Someone took the time to add you so the least you can do is give them an extra link back.
2. Copy the list of originals below COMPLETELY and add it to your blog. If you would like a different keyword for your blog then change it when you do your post and it should pass to most blogs with that keyword.
3. Take the adds from the blog that added you and place them in the “Originals” list.
4. Add at least 1 new blog that you KNOW is using the DO FOLLOW plugin to the list in the “My Adds” section. (Add no more than 5!) Let the people you’ve added know, so that they can keep the list going!
5. Leave relevant comments on the blogs listed and get a link back to your site thanks to Do Follow!

My Adds:
Confessions of an Everyday Housewife
Home Biz Blogger

The Originals:

Geeky Speaky
Surviving NJ
Ugh!!’s Greymatter Honeypot
Midlife Musings
The Hockey Dad
Buy Me Blog
3day Mom
Simple Kind of Life
My Dandelion Patch
Whatever I Feel Like
Utterly Geek
Feverish Thoughts
Foot Prints On the Moon
My Opinion Counts
The Pond
The Benspark
Just Julie
My Road
Winding Threads
Funny Stuff
Chimommy
A Typical Woman
The Passionate Ailurophile
Thoughtprints
My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings
Midlife Musings
Utterly Geek
My Dandelion Patch
The Photo Pumpkin
Bob of Bobberama

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I found the following article very interesting.

Correspondents in San Francisco
APRIL 13, 2007
MORE women than men go online in the US, defying the perception of the internet as a male-dominated realm, a new study has revealed.

Approximately 97.2 million women use the internet in the US, compared to 90.9 million men, according to research by eMarketer.

Women are inclined to use the internet to accomplish tasks instead of as a diversion, said eMarketer senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson, author of the "Women Online" report.

"Females, especially adult women, are more likely to use the internet to get things done, rather than to have fun," the eMarketer report states.

"Many adult women, busy juggling work with their relationships and child-caring responsibilities, don't have time to surf the web for video."

Seventy-eight per cent of male US internet users will watch video online this year while only 66 per cent of the female users will, according to eMarketer.

Reasons given for the difference in video-viewing proclivities included men adopting new technologies faster than women and having greater access to high-capacity broadband internet connections needed to handle data-rich video streams.

The gap between the genders is expected to narrow in coming years as broadband connections become ubiquitous and television shows popular with women are made available for viewing online, according to eMarketer senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

"Early data indicate that female teens are as enthusiastic as male teens about online video," Ms Williamson said.

"The networks are well-positioned to drive greater female online video usage by offering more programming that appeals to females, particularly adults."

I love to go to Flickr and look at the fantastic photos. I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of photos there are and how to go about purchasing anything there. I had the opportunity to sample FlickrCash search for "flowers purple" and I got the real feel for how it works.

FlickrCash searches for photos on Flickr so I can put in a criteria and see as many thumbnails as will fit in my browser. Signing up for an account gives you the feature of saving search results. It is so nice to be able to go back to a project and look again or share with people you are working with on a project. It is possible to note, with a light box feature, which pictures you like so you can see if the others want to go with those pictures for the project. FlickrCash is going to make finding and buying pictures/images so much easier. That will make a lot of image sellers happy too! See the beautiful photos in my sidebar. That is a compilation of Flickr pictures chosen with the new method.

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A cowboy, who is visiting Wyoming from Texas , walks into a bar and
orders three mugs of Bud. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a
sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the
bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, "You know, a mug goes
flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a
time."

The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in
Arizona , the other is in Colorado . When we all left our home in Texas ,
we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank
together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for
myself."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same
way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take
notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second
round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I
wanted to offer my condolences on your loss."

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a
light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.

"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that my wife
and I joined a church and I had to quit drinking."

"Hasn't affected my brothers, though."

I write this blog because I like to write about my life. Someday maybe one of my friends from my childhood will find me through this blog. I check to see if people can find my blog by trying it myself. Search engine submission is the usual way people try to find something. I try to use tags that fit what I write about that way if someone looks up a topic that they remember me being interested in, they are more apt to find me. I also submit my blog to a lot of directories. When you use a directory you can look for websites by category. If they look under crafts or hobbies they will probably find this blog.

The Manhattan Service blog has all types of information about directories where you can submit your website. He also has tips for webmasters. There's a lot of valuable information for promoting your website. Offering website promotion and advertising is a major focus of his blog.

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Anderson Cooper's show 360 degrees will be very interesting to watch tonight. He has been traveling to New Orleans many times since Hurricane Katrina hit. This time he will be interviewing a man who's film director wife was murdered. She was gunned down in their home. It sounds like the violence has increased in New Orleans.

Also being talked about is the incident with Don Imus. All sides of that issue will be talked about.

It sounds very interesting.

Do you carry a notebook with you, when you travel, so that you have all of your passwords for your instant messaging accounts? Web Messenger is an application that allows you to stay connected with your favorite Instant Messenger almost anywhere. You need a computer with just a browser only.

You don't even have to download or install any software or add plug-ins to your computer to use it! It supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, IRC, and Jabber messaging services. You will be able to chat with your friends and use it anywhere because it works behind a firewall or proxy servers. Use Web Messenger anywhere with any computer!

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I am freezing. I'm sitting here with a blanket wrapped around me. When I'm not typing, I have my fingers wrapped around a hot cup of coffee. I wish I could say there was a fire going in the fireplace but we don't have a fireplace. After my shower I will be putting on jeans and a sweatshirt, warm socks and boots.

Boots? Yep. It is April 12, 2007 and the weather man is calling for snow flurries. I am sick of cold weather. I want to see my flowers come up and not get their blooms burnt with frost. Waaaahhh! whine whine whine

At least I won't feel bad sitting at my computer making money online. I'm looking for that silver lining.

What would you do if you needed a lawyer? We have dealt with a lawyer and have established a relationship. Many people don't have that relationship or any communication with a lawyer at all. In Canada there is a service called Lawyershop.ca that assists people who are looking for legal representation. Immigration Lawyers Vancouver is one of many types of law offices who have been scrutinized by Lawyershop.ca and has been added to their list of contacts. They study and gain an insight into each law firm's capabilities. If you need help navigating the complexity of the Canadian court system, let Lawyershop Vancouver help you. They have dedicated personal injury lawyers, criminal lawyers, and immigration lawyers ready to assist those who need help. It's good to know someone is looking out for you.
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My friend and her husband decided this morning to fly out to Colorado tonight. Her sister and brother inlaw own a condo in the mountains and go there a lot to ski. My friend and her husband don't ski but will enjoy the time away. It would be wonderful to sit with a good book, cup of coffee and look out the window at a picture like this.

I am so tired of pulling on our bedroom blinds and having them fall on the floor. They were really cheap ones so I guess I shouldn't complain. Roller Blinds from Terry's Fabrics are made so much better. They have high standards on all their products. They sell any type of window treatment I could dream up. They also have bedding and lighting products.

They maintain the philosophy that peace of mind should cost nothing at all. That sounds like the type of company I want to do business with. They offer the best service possible. Because they choose suppliers who provide quality products, they are able to pass that same quality on to their customers. I feel confident that what I buy from Terry's Fabrics is going to be the quality I am looking for.

They have 35 years of experience and will not compromise on quality or service. To insure quality construction, they have a single member of their production team craft each product from start to finish. On their website they state, "In the unlikely event that a problem arises, we will do everything in our control to rectify it." That means a lot to me. I know that when I pull on my new shade, it is not going to fall out of the brackets because #1 it is the correct size for the window because I used their measuring guide. #2 the quality is going to make the shade sturdier so it will be able to be pulled on like a normal shade should!

I am excited to get these blinds ordered. When I save up some more money, I want to see about their beautiful bedspreads.

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I don't understand how things are determined. The price of gas is high when the oil companies are making money. Citicorp is laying off people. Now what are those people going to do?

A highly promoted web directory has a unique way of determining listing positions. At Big Web Links, listings are sorted, in its Bidding Web Directory, as listing owners bid for position in the directory. So the higher your bid is, the better the placement your website gets on the site. The top 10 also get listed on the homepage and the top 20 get listed on the top links page. Complete control is maintained by the bid amount. All listings are permanent. This type of position placement promotes a healthy, yet competitive environment for website promotional and end user brand recognition. Bidding starts at $1 and is automatically adjusted and incremented after payment has been processed.
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Oh no! The pet food recall expanded further Tuesday to include products made at a Canadian factory recently found to have used an ingredient tainted by an industrial chemical.

After being repeatedly reassured by Menu Foods, as reinforced by FDA public statements, that none of the contaminated wheat gluten had made its way to Canada, we were completely shocked to learn yesterday that this was not the case," Xavier Unkovic, Royal Canin Canada's chief executive officer, said in a statement.

The analysis suggests that out of every 10,000 cats and dogs seen in Banfield clinics, three developed kidney failure during the time pet food contaminated with melamine, a chemical used to make plastic kitchenware, countertops, fertilizers and flame retardants, was on the market. The chemical appears to have been more toxic to cats than to dogs.

This is why Brody is on $40 medicine that keeps his kidneys working. I would bet anything.

I've often wished I were a hat wearing type of person. I just don't think hats look good on me. I'm looking at a cool website that might just change my mind. Hats are what they are all about at Headgamesonline.com. Head Games specializes in women's hats and accessories.

They also have a big selection of other products like barrettes, pony holders and headbands. Oh wow, they even have tiaras. I need to tell Stacy about this.

I think that many gals will be checking out this site for hair accessories for the prom. They can match their dress with a very pretty barrette or use hair sticks in an updo.

They also have shawls. I think those are going to be a big seller this year with the cold weather we are having. A pretty shawl or wrap can complete an outfit. In fact, they also have handbags!

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Did you see the new cars featured on Cnn.com? They change colors. Silver isn't silver anymore. Black might not always be black. Around the edges of the wheel wells it might glisten in purple or gold. Where the body curves inward, hints of blue or red might shine from the shadows.

The secret is extra layers of coatings embedded with tiny metal flakes. The standard process for painting a car in a factory was - and still is - to lay down a layer of color and cover that with a clearcoat. The clearcoat gives the color a wet-looking shine and a sense of depth.

Now, the colored basecoat can be covered with a second translucent layer that could be a different color. And within that second translucent layer there could be little flecks of aluminum and those flecks can, themselves, be another color. Or several other colors.

I want a car that changes colors!

I probably told you about the cool Science website I found. Well, I finally had time to sign up and I want to tell you how much fun it is. They needed minimal information so it's not like you have to sign your life away to join. LOL I think it was the standard name and address they needed. Oh and your email address. I need to take a picture of myself so I can get my geeky face on my profile page. I think I saw avatars you can use too.

The site is called Sci-edge and has so much information concerning science that I'm afraid I am going to get addicted and spend all my internet time there. The social networking itself is so much fun. There are so many nice people who are interested in all aspects of science. Some of them are science hobbyists like me. They like to figure out how things work. There are gadget geeks and science fiction fans.
By clicking here you can sign up and they will know that I sent you over to check it out. I am checking out the games right now. You should see how many there are to choose from. I am playing Hungry Bob. LOL It is wacky!

Ok now I am going to look at polls. Hmmm, there are a few political polls. I see I can make my own poll if I choose to. That will be fun.

I'm off to the events calendar. I see that on April 28 there is going to be a Robofest. That sounds interesting. I'm going over to the chat area to see if there is anyone there who knows about it. You cannot believe how easy it is to get around at this website.

This is a brand new site, so new members have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and make their mark. Imagine being one of the first to use MySpace. 

The site launched on April 2nd and I am hoping some of you will join me there and see how much fun it is. Sponsored post.

It finally got nice again. Hubby is outside mowing the grass and it is a bit moist. The grass is moist. Our dogs have white fur on their legs so guess what color they are now. Guess who gets to give them baths. LOL Never a dull moment around here!

If you are a friend of mine or are in my family, you know that I love to blog. For you non-bloggers, it means I keep an online journal. Usually I try to keep my posts short. The same goes for my comments. I get to the point. However, for a world record, I would try posting a long comment!

We have all heard of the Guinness Book of World Records. People do some odd things to get their name into that book. PayPerPost has an idea that, really, isn't all that farfetched. There are many bloggers who do PayPerPost and most of us like to talk. The idea is to set a record for the world's longest blog comment chain and to submit it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

I think this is the first attempt at this particular feat. One of the people from PayPerPost said he thought the most comments he'd ever seen on a single blog post was about 350. He is shooting for 2,000 "unique human generated comments of 25 words or more each generated within 1 week of the original post." He stipulated that he, being the author, cannot contribute more than 10 percent of total posts.

I don't think this will be hard at all! I'm up for the challenge! After I have my first cup of coffee, that is.

Want to participate? Do you have a friend who would like to comment? Be part of the Guinness World Book of Records. Put your name down in history.

This is a lamb cake that Taryn made for us from her Grandmother's recipe, it had cherries and walnuts in it. It tasted wonderful. When she told Greg she was making it he was a bit hesitant. He asked her if lamb cake was like meatloaf. LOL

Running our own business has become more complicated as we search for ways to improve our business. Point of sale systems have enabled us to focus in on products and find out which ones sell and which ones collect dust. At VisionPOS.com we have found refurbished point of sale products for prices our small business can afford.

There are many companies supplying point of sale systems and POS products to support today's retailer. At Vision, they are concentrating on the aspects that some POS companies tend to forget. Managing the repair, refurbishment and redeployment to keep those POS systems working is essential.

Retailers purchase new POS equipment with the confidence that it will work and perform up to standard with a high degree of consistency. Unfortunately, those two characteristics aren't apparent when refurbished or used point of sale equipment is considered. To change that perception, Vision set out to change the paradigm so that consistency is expected and confidence is earned. That means a lot. There are times when we have a choice to buy from a less expensive vendor. Service is what makes us stay with the vendor who has the same attitude towards service that we show our own customers. Satisfaction is the key to good business.

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I just finished reading some wonderful obsessions at MomReviews. Funny thing is, I have some similar ones! I never thought about some of them as an obsession but by golly, I guess they are. Here are my top 5.

1. The internet. I wake up thinking about getting it turned on to see if I have any emails and if there are any opportunities waiting for me to grab at PayPerPost. I try so hard to at least make coffee for my hubby before he sees me pecking away at the keyboard.

2. Speaking of coffee, I love a new mocha type coffee that my friend got me started on. These are made at our local convenience/gas station type store. I fill a cup part way with regular coffee, add a vanilla creamer and fill the rest up with any flavor mocha. It is yummy.


3. I always have coffee with my favorite pie. I have an obsession for sugar cream pie. I cannot pass it up. I savor every bite mmming at each one like it is soo good yummmm.

4. My doggies have to be in bed with me. I have a hard time sleeping if my dogs aren't curled up in the bed with hubby and me. I know we would sleep better if they weren't but now that I am used to them being there it feels like something is missing if they aren't.

5. My obsession with a neat yard is one I am trying to overcome. I cannot stand to see a weed. I pick leaves out of our flower beds. We have river rock in the beds and I hate to see a stick or weed in there. It makes me so I cannot relax when I'm outdoors. When we go to a restaurant I want to pull the weeds out of their flower beds. So far, I haven't done it when I'm out.

This weed is bothering me.

What are your top 5 obsessions? If you want to talk about them on your blog, let me know because I'd love to read about them.