I just put up my Christmas tree last night and this morning when I went shopping with my mother, she was eyeing a tree with white frosted tip to emulate snow. My mother told me I should get those… because it’s supposed to snow on December.

Hello? Not this part of the world I told my mother. It’s just too fake to have snow-tipped Christmas trees in our part of the world. It is just not real. The last 3 nights were the hottest ever. I had to on my air-cond till the morning and I’m supposed to convince myself I got snow-tipped trees?

On the other hand, my poodle is a believer. He thinks my tree is very real. He’s eyeing my tree and dying to mark his territory on the funny tree that seems to appear out of nowhere 6 feet overnight. I really have to keep my eye on him…

It is surprising there are a number of people who still holds on to the notion you can be like this in real life and another personality on your blog. Unless your shrink tells you you are suffering from split personality, it just don’t hold for the rest of us. NO, you cannot be a separate entity from your blogging personality. Because the fact is, your blogging personality is an extension of yourself. Like it or not, there’s no way round this one.

Wait, I’ve met bloggers in person who has totally different personality from their blogs…

Blogging allows anonymity. Many times in real life people are restrained from expressing themselves because of various factors from shyness to the pressure to conform to what others expect of them. When blogging hits the scene, people can just let loose. Yes, there are nice bloggers who are just a bitch in person and vice versa. We have loud bloggers who are mousey in real life… Does that mean their blogging persona is totally cut off from them in real life?

Nay. The fact is, a blogger can have a different blogging persona but it is still an extension of the person. A shy person might find courage blogging under anonymity. The person can be loud and brash on his/her blog… but overwhelm with shyness in real life. There’s no contradiction there. You merely have a shy blogger who is merely dying to break out from his/her shell. I repeat again, a blogger can have a different blogging personality but that personality is very much an extension of the individual. Extension meant it’s still part of you.

So, want to know whom you really are? Go read your own blog postings.

I felt I am once again transported back to the time when I was 15 and waiting for my report card. Wait, I am now more anxious than I was at 15. You know why? I never really study hard back in those days so my expectations were well, not exactly high. But, for my blogs, especially this one, I do put in a lot of effort because this is my first paid domain site and its mechanics are totally different from my main blog.

My main blogger blog is my personal blog and has been around for 3+ years. The traffic comes mainly from a small group of friends and local bloggers. This blog is different.

This is a blog I start from scratch. I worked hard for this one and naturally I do tend to worry for this one. This blog is just 3+ months old. It’s still a baby….

Dang, get to your score…

Just having a little fun. I can post my score on the forum, but then I reckon if 10% of the 85k posties from 3P are curious about my score, I’ll get a healthy 850 hits for today…

This blog is 1692.

Well, nothing to scream about but I won’t be too hard on myself. Heck, I can console myself anytime with that tub of ice cream sitting in the freezer… I’m dying for an excuse to wallop that thing anyway.

I met up with an old classmate for lunch last week to indulge in a little ‘women gossip.’ We were supposed to go shopping after that but my friend told me her 11 year old daughter Eileen has to tag along because tuition class is cancelled. We picked Eileen up at her friend’s place and proceeded to the mall.

The last time I saw Eileen she was still wearing a frilly frock and knee length socks. She had obviously grown out of cutesy wear now and is wearing a spaghetti strap T and jeans. I do have a confession here. It is always awkward to try to chat up teenagers. They are like from another planet. Anyway, I tried to be nice…

“Eileen, that’s a nice pair of jeans you’re wearing, is that Barbie on it?” I tried to be nice…

Eileen looked hurt and defiantly said, “No, auntie, no way. It’s a Hannah Montana jeans! You do know who is Hannah Montana right?”

Ouch, that sounded more like an accusation than a question. Hello? I might not be from her generation, but auntie me do spend a big portion of her time surfing net and watching entertainment news on the TV. Of course I know who is Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. It’ll be hard pressed not to. Her sold out concert at the Houston Rodeo had been reported by Entertainment News on TV umpteen times. Refusing to just lay down, I threw everything I knew about Hannah Montana at Eileen.

“I do think Miley Cyrus is pretty and talented,” I added.

“Prettier than Vanessa H?” Eileen looked at me expectantly.

“Yeah, much prettier.” That’s it. I got her vote.

Somehow I do feel victorious getting ‘recognized’ by that teenage Eileen I’m a ‘happening’ auntie. Things were fine until I felt compelled to add, ” Do you know you can now get Hanah Montana tickets at the Houston Rodeo easily online? Bet you love to attend Hannah Montana concert.”

Eileen looked at her mother and my friend glared at me. Oops.

“Yeah, thanks alot. Bet you’ve forgotten what it is like bringing up teenagers. I will be haunted by her for the tickets no thanks to you.”

I know my friend hates me.

I think I better start off with saying I do believe in self betterment. Anyone should strive to do better and improve oneself no matter it is just blogging or anything else in life. The fact is, the desire to do so should stem from one’s own accord. From the bottom of one’s heart to do it for nobody else but themselves.

I love to read about blogging pointers from sites that talks about better blogging. I hang out in these sites alot and I daresay there’s a lot to learn. But the sad fact is, too much reading onto all these just overkills. These so-called professional individuals who contributed to the site (I won’t divulge which) talked about blogging style, grammar and pleasing readers. How to reach out to your readers, how to convey your thoughts into your blogs and yadda yadda, you get the drift. The more I read, the more I see the irony there. Please!

Blogging took off for the very fact it is accessible. Anyone with a PC and internet access can write. You don’t need a journalistic degree or some PHD to start sharing your thoughts online. Yes, there are gifted bloggers and there are some not so gifted… some even to the extent of downright bad. But then, so what? This is what blogging is all about.

It is for everyone. You can be fat, thin, gifted, not gifted, rich or poor. It doesn’t matter. Blogging is not something conformed to the elitist who can memorize Shakespeare or pen down literature with words you need to scramble to lookup the dictionary. Bloggers are not journalists nor writers which need to conform to certain qualities demanded by these profession. Most bloggers who blog don’t get paid and merely write to try to reach out and hope somebody out there clicks with them.

Please readers? I rather think bloggers write not to appeal to readers, but hope to find readers that find his/her blog appealing. Like in life, there will be people who like us and others who don’t. You can’t win them all.

I just hope I’m not reading too much into these ‘good blogging practices’ that sort of turn off what blogging is in the first place. A venue to pen our thoughts…. not-so perfect writing style and all. It is who we are…. yes, most of us are no journalist or writers. We are just bloggers.

Just 2 days ago the Detroit Free Press ran an article claiming there will be over 1 million foreclosures in the US this year. There is not a part in anybody’s life money doesn’t touch. Debt elimination in one’s life starts with good and prudent financial practices. The good news is, it is never too late to start getting a grip on your current financial circumstances and taking steps to work towards lessening your debts.

One of the best thing any individual can do is taking the time to find the best rate and deal for any loans. It pays to compare the different offerings from different financial institutions. For folks starting with a clean sheet of loan history are no doubt easier. But then the fact is, unless we are blessed with a healthy trust fund or inheritance from wealthy parents, the rest of us had to contend with a less than perfect credit score card.

BadCreditOffers.com offers bad credit loans to people with a less than perfect credit history by providing bad credit offers from major providers. The site provides useful resources for comparing anything from home loans to personal loans. Finding the perfect loan that is tailor-made to your needs is crucial. Getting the best deal helps borrowers get back on their feet much faster.

**This blog would like to thank its sponsor, BadCreditOffers.com for enabling this written opinion**

*100% NOT a sponsored post**

Now, we know paid posts or opinions whatever you choose to call it is detrimental to your Google PR. Many do not write sponsored posts for plenty of reason. Some think it will jeopardize their blog credibility, some might not want to savour Google’s wrath. Either way, you are right. You have every right to make your own decision for your blog.

For those who like to earn a little side income and not offend your readers or Big G, there is an alternative. You can write your opinions for SharedReviews and get compensated for it. It is completely legal and it does NOT violate Google’s TOS. No worries there.

How is it possible?

When you write for SharedReviews, you do not write and post your opinion on your blog. You post your opinion on their blog. There is no link. Absolutely no link necessary and all you have to do is write about your opinion on products you have used. Any company. You can share your opinions on anything from books, gadgets, phones, computers to makeup. It is totally your call. Just write the pros and cons and share your product experience.

Great… I can now be on my way to be the next blogging big shot…

Not exactly. SharedReviews pay you $2 for every approved opinion. Each opinion requires min 750 characters. (Don’t worry, it’s not words.) So, it’s not something long and $2 is fair. The company will pay you for every 5 approved opinions. You don’t get paid per post basis, you get paid $10 for every 5 approved posts on your account. At the moment SharedReviews is still on Beta stage. The maximum an individual can earn per month is $150. That’s the maximum limit.

Geez, that’s chicken feed…

Well, if you are a well established paid post writer, or one who commands $100 per post, this program is NOT for you. Honest. I’m not being nasty, I’m just pointing the obvious. This program is suited for folks who likes to share their opinions and get compensated with a little side income. There are different programs suited for different people. SharedReviews just work like such and therefore whether it is your kind of program, you make the call.

How do SharedReviews make their money?

Like I said, they are still in Beta stage and I cannot tell you anymore than what is written on their site. It is better you hear it from the horse mouth. If you want to know more, you can read it here.

This is NOT a sponsored post. If you think this program works for you and you don’t mind a little side income coming your way, sign-up here for free.

What do I get out of this?

A little brownie referral points. That’s it. The thing is, don’t wait too long until they come out of their Beta stage. Things might change then, OK?

You can click on banner image to join.

Just had the most wonderful weekend doing nothing but eat. Yeah, I know there’ll be repercussions. Like?

The new jeans I bought over the net is a tad too tight. I always order the same size and this time it’s somehow tighter. Either the jeans QC is not stringent and consistent or I’m getting fat.

What am I talking about? I am NOT getting fat….. I am fat.

Let’s face it. The downside about fulltime blogging is how out of touch I am from real people. I socialize nowadays over the net. The up side about net socialization is, nobody can see you. The down side? The motivation to keep one in tip top shape is pretty non-evident. Back in my working days, we always had this healthy competition among fellow colleagues (lady colleagues) to look our best.

Now?

Without friendly competition, I’m just not motivated anymore. I have no qualms about walloping half the damn butter cake without the remotest sense of guilt. It’s starting to freak me out how I am not bothered. Dang, I’m more concerned about how my blog looks more than how I look.

Honestly, this has got to stop. Today I want a change. I swear I am going to cut down a few dress sizes. Thanks to the HBO movie “The Devil Wears Prada” I watched over the weekend.

Quote from the movie..

“…..size 2 is the new 0 and the size 2 is a new 4, ….. size 6 is size 14….”

OK I get it. I swear I’m going to lay off reading 100% technology/internet/SEO blogs. I’m going to devote 50% to fashion blogs from now on. Blek.

*sponsored*

I usually try catching my holiday break during end of the year because that is the time where the long holidays are. But, since my husband is now working on project basis, that means he does not have the luxury of having fixed holidays. He can only take his break when his project is over. This arrangement is screaming disruption to our holiday plans. But then there is not much we can do about it when we are out to earn a living.

We had initially planned to visit Petra in Jordan and Egypt. I had been to both places previously before my marriage but my husband has yet. Hubby and I usually get good travel deals if we purchase our travel booking early during those travel fair. The only problem now is the unpredictability of my husband’s project dateline. In view of that, I now does my holiday planning online and look out for last minute deal offered by Holiday Hypermarket.

I will be honest here because the fact is, husband and I cannot exactly afford luxurious over the top holidays. We usually check out cheap flights to Egypt and other last minute travel deal from Holiday Hypermarket. This online UK based travel site is easy to navigate and has millions of travel deals to suit my budget.

Me inside the felucca on the Nile way back in 1994. lol

Google is at it again. You know what? I am now immune. When my 3+ years Blogger blog is reduced to PR0, my indignation had gave way to indifference. Fellow comrades in the blogosphere who suffered the same fate are plentiful. So, I don’t exactly have the bragging rights how special I was being singled out by Google. Dang, I thought I’m the chosen one…

It’s a bright and sunny day, don’t worry be happy. What is happier than a person with no worries? When your PR hit 0, you have officially reach blogging nirvana. *pops a bottle of champagne*

By the way, I sure hope those hypocrites who declare they will not monetize their blogs anymore and beg for mercy from Google will stop talking. Hello? If you are not thinking of monetizing your blogs and from this day forth, solely blog for humanity and love of blogging, why the heck should you be concern about your PR? Jeez. Aren’t your passion for blogging and readers enough? (business blogs are exempted from my wrath)

Blogger Snoskred is holding a competition over at her blog to celebrate her pagerank drop. She is spreading a little love around so do check it out. By the way, I know this is not going to last forever, so, take out your popcorn or whatever and seize the moment and watch Google share drop. You don’t want to miss the fun.