I am Pashmina fan

I am big Pashmina fan. Even the name (that comes from pashm in Persian) sound musical to me and I love that gauzy weave. Just touching soft and warm Pashmina tells you what it is! Pashmina products are all time trendy and stylish. People of class from all over the world use these products - shawl, scarf and many more.

Given my interest, one of the best places I have found to shop for Pashmina is Bridesmaid Pashmina. Neatly laid out and user’s friendly site has a great collection of Pashmina products. Explore and find what they are offering and how. They have something for everyone. Imagery of the products is good and it gives a feeler of how one will look wrapped in one of those shawls.

What is more, their custom dye option makes them stand out from the rest. Ask for color you want and Brides Maid Pashmina will deliver exactly the same.

Some of their shawls are already on my wish list.

A storm in the form of a girl

Starr

Then I took a deep breath and quit waving my hands around like 'lil girl and got on with it. I have read some of the other folks response and I gotta warn you all now. I am not that deep. Or business-like. Or grown up.

I blog simply because I want to be heard.

Ever feel like you are a walking contradiction? One person in your head and another with people? Yes, I know, shades of Sybil, but bear with me. I think, to a certain degree, everyone is someone else at least part of the time. Social Networking has exploded in popularity recently and I think I know why. You get to be yourself! Or someone like you ;)

I first discovered this phenomenon while playing Everquest. I started out playing with my ex husband and felt totally out of place. Within a short time, I had branched out and began to make friends outside of his circle.

The one thing that struck me instantly was how refreshing it was to have the anonymity of text. I didn't have to be June Cleaver, I could just be me. I formed some very strong friendships and one relationship that lasted years via that game. And I think it had to do with the ability to remain anonymous via the internet. Granted I stopped being anonymous but by that time I had also gained a far greater comfort level in just being me.

I no longer play EQ but the bug for internet self expression stuck with me. Call it the siren song of text on a glowing screen. I blog to feel like I am heard. I blog to feel like someone, anyone out there, actually knows me. The really real me, not the one we all have to be to please bosses, spouses, parents and children. And if I can make someone else laugh it is icing on the cake.

Look How a Woman Blogs

Lizza

I’ve always loved reading and writing, and I’ve been doing both a lot since I was a kid. I started keeping a diary when I was a teenager and when the Internet came along it was just natural for me to go from paper to digital – a relief, actually, since my handwriting never won me any awards and even I sometimes have trouble reading it.

My initial attempts at blogging were hiccup-y; I’d write something, post it, and delete it. Last year I started one on MySpace. (I know, what could I have been thinking?) Then through work that I do with my friend and business partner, Victor, on Expat Interviews, I made the online acquaintance of a Canadian lady living in the UAE. It turned out she couldn’t access my MySpace blog (it was one of the sites her ISP bans) so I started one on Blogger. The MySpace account is dead but my Blogger journal lives on.

In the beginning she was my only reader. Then as the months passed one reader became five then a dozen. People have come and gone, but a few have stayed on, bless their suffering souls. Some say they found my site through the Next Blog button, others through sites like Bestest Blogger of the Day, BlogBlast for Peace, and The Rising Blogger; some came via other bloggers.

I’ve found some great blogs via these avenues too – and made some amazing friends online. Mine is a personal site, not a business site. Its primary function was and is to be a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I write about silly stuff, sometimes it’s about an aspect of life here in the Philippines, sometimes I spew when I’m feeling blue and angst-y, sometimes I write about family. I do it simply because I want to write about it, nothing less, nothing more. I won’t deny, though, that I love it when people say they like a certain post, or what I wrote on a certain day resonated with them, or when I find that somebody has linked to me without telling me – that’s always a nice surprise. I should mention that I don’t like it when bloggers exhibit this “I linked to you, so link to me too” attitude. The people in my blogroll are there because I like their blogs, not because they asked to be placed there.

Blogging is not only fun. It can also be cathartic. It’s an outlet for whatever creativity is brewing in me. It’s a personal endeavor that’s a gratifying part of my normal life, just like eating or sleeping or playing. Right now I don’t feel the need to promote my blog through aggregate sites. Getting good traffic is great, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t ever want to reach that point where getting more comments and awards and higher search engine rankings will eclipse the reason why I started blogging publicly in the first place: to write what I want to write about, not what I think others want to read. Having readers come and return is the icing on the cake, and they’re non-fattening!

Reading other blogs, though, has greatly influenced my way of thinking and the topics I write about sometimes. Also, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve learned something new from what someone else wrote. A certain writer will have a post that makes me think, so I’ll blog about that topic too and mention that I got the idea from him or her. All of us probably agree that blogging is a great way to share information, and one of the ways I like to share is to mention every Saturday a handful of blog entries written by others during that particular week.

There is a great number of terrific blogs out there: they’ve made me laugh hilariously, they’ve made me teary-eyed, they’ve left me breathless by the way they’re written, they’ve made me marvel at their visual creativity – these are some of the characteristics of blog posts I share with regular readers and passers-by on weekends. People have said they like my Blogworld Saturdays feature because it leads them to blogs they otherwise wouldn’t have known about, and that’s gratifying to know. What they don’t realize is it’s a way to turn them into blogging addicts like me, haha! I jest – sort of.

The comments section is another enjoyable part of the blogging experience. Sometimes the comments I get are much more interesting than the post itself! Reading comments can be both entertaining and enlightening. (I’ve also found a few blogs through comments left on other blogs – sometimes they intrigue me enough to want to know more about that person’s writings, and before I know it, presto! I’ve become the fan of another blogger.) Reading a post and leaving a comment is a good thing to do, but please, at least scan the post first before you say something! Reading something that’s totally unrelated to the post can make a person feel like he or she is on the receiving end of a wrong number.

The Internet is adding another dimension to how people learn and interact. Like it or not, it’s here to stay as a way for individuals to hear and be heard. Through blogging I’ve come across quite a few terrific people both near and far. It’s probably true that I will never meet these people personally, but that doesn’t mean I don’t cherish “meeting” them online. I do, and I look forward to meeting more and learning from them.

How to love a black woman

Sylvia Hubbard

After a separation and divorce, I was feeling that I must do something to heal. My fear of becoming one of those angry black women scared me because I was one before and I didn't like myself.

Writing had always been a passion and addiction of mine and it brought me great relief when I wrote fiction because I was a suspense-romance/sensual noir author already. So I decided to use my gift to relieve the stress in my heart over leaving my marriage in order to be happy.

I wasn't regretful for leaving my marriage. I was upset at myself for failing and I wanted marriage again, but the next time i wanted it to last.

So I decided to start my blog, more for a guide book for myself than anything and when friends and family began to come and comment, it was enjoyable to hear that I wasn't as crazy as I thought I was.

Soon men started emailing me offline and asking me my thoughts on different things and how I felt about different things women did. Instead of answering them privately, I answered them on the blog.

Through my healing process, I found great relationship books and did reviews on those.

Now this blog has become what I wanted it to become. A guidebook on what it takes to love me and then I have friends join in or post their comments as well and contribute to the discussion they provide.

I wanted to create a way for people to talk about what we don't talk about - communication and intimacy. These are important to me and it should be important to many people especially in the African American Community that refuses to acknowledge this is an important part of a relationship.

Whether who finds me to marry, I know that in order to love me and love who I am they are going to have to read my blog and I hope that a deeper understanding of the complex woman comes to them and they can love me even more.

Reasons to use NET10 wireless service

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thanks to the developments in tele communication that the wireless services and related technologies are a shorter route to many things: obtaining information, conducting business, making decisions, socializing or staying in touch with family and friend. You don’t have to be a researcher to find out cell phones’ impacts on life and work. It is very hard to perceive life without cell phone, if not impossible. 

Given my work and nature of job, I know that the essence of existence in this age lies in the ability to stay connected. And it is easy to find services that suite your requirements. Searching online, I came upon a Cute NET10 commercial and also what What Rob has to say about NET10. I explore neatly laid out NET10 and found more about what they offering and how trusted and efficient their service is. It is so easy: Just buy phone and the airtime and activate and you are connected nationwide. 

I suggest you also view the video and also see the 10 Good Reasons to use NET10 wireless service and you will See the Light like any Real NET10 customer who is already using their service and is happy for the enriching experience. Try NET10. 

a little of ASP.NET, a little of AJAX, a little of GIS, well ... an all Atlas, can I still call it that?

Albert Pascual

I wouldn’t say I blog, I would say I post links, news and code that I may need in future. As a software engineer, I need a searchable place where my notes and thought, but most important, my code can be found. I started in 2005 and after losing my database with all the post, I learn two important lessons: the fine art of backing up and second that I actually was using those notes and “articles” pretty often.

I won’t call them articles when they were barely a paste from my clipboard. In 2006, I started cleaning my blog a bit and posting more towards other people to read than just myself; I share some of my code with coworkers.

In 2007, I started reading more blogs from “well-known” bloggers and enjoying their style and learning the new and fast way of sharing information. A blog to me is a faster and more interactive way of sharing information and knowledge than a newspaper or a magazine, I, for once, canceled all my subscriptions to the LA Times and geek magazines, that I used to enjoy. Searching blogs or using RSS to read them gives me immediate access to that information without waiting for a person to deliver the magazine or paper. On the same token I like to share with other people the problems, solutions or the little tricks and tips. This is why I post!

Needless to say that (picking topics day after day) is one of the most difficult things to do lately. It was simple when I just posted code and tips about code. Whatever technology or code I was playing at the time, was pasted on my blog, no such thing as cleaning the code and writing an article about it.

Now that I started writing a little bit more instead of just posting code, I find myself searching for a topic that might be interesting to the readers of my blog. I am lucky if I have some research project, a new product or technology coming up to write about. Some weeks I’m so busy at work that when I get home I find that I have nothing to say, and prefer not to post anything.

I must come clean to let you know that I have, more than once, posted something, just for posting something. If you read my blog on a regular basis or you are subscribed, you know what I’m talking about. Please let me take this chance to apologize about those minutes of your life that I cannot give you back.

This year, I received more emails from people reading my blog and asking questions; if the question was already asked by another email, I would reply that on blog instead of an email back. Something very important to me is to see the timeline of my blog, see where I was a year ago and what kind of technology was I working.

I do see an evolution at my blog, maybe the learning curve is longer than other blogs, but is a path I’m enjoying. So please, do keep the emails coming as from them I build the content.

Templates? Promotion tools? Are we still talking about blogging? I haven’t promoted my blog, because I don’t know or I did not search ways to promote my blog. Right now my blog is on the Microsoft ASP.NET blog roll and readers come from there or from Goggle searches.

Mainly I talk about AJAX, ASP.NET and C#, so my audients are geeks and nerds like me. I don’t think a bumper sticker can help my blog to be read by more people. I do not know how to promote a blog, blogs should be promoted by peers. That’s how I find out about other bloggers.

Blogging is a way of communication that allows anybody to voice their opinion with a simple mouse click. I do believe blogging is going to develop to a more professional and structured “art.”

Phone plan choices by Straight Talk

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hook, line and sinker, mobile phones are getting very popular these days (thanks to advances in communication technologies). Many users now prefer no contract phones with affordable phone bill plan since they offer obvious advantages related to lifestyle and cost control. It is safe, convenient, and flexible way to manage spending on phone calls to as much as half of what you may be paying. That is where Straight Talk comes in. They offer told exactly the same. My mom told me that and yes, my mom knows best.

How do you decide which phone plan to use? Start at Straight Talk – Cut your cell phone bill to half and fell richer. The Straight Talk is a portal that offers everything you need from calling a friend anywhere local or international to texting and much more. What I liked best was their phone plan that can reduce the calling costs to half. I was pleasently surprised to see the choices they offer. I suggest you have a look and learn about their plans and take what suites you the most. What is more, there is not contract, no surprise bills and no credit checks and you have nationwide coverage and excellent reception and connectivity at your hand.

Living in the age of communication that is everything you need. Try them and call a friend anytime.

Writing Thoughts

Laura Spencer

What is blog to me? I can tell you how I’ve progressed and what I’ve discovered along the way.

Blogging was a grand experiment for me. First, I wanted to see if anyone would read my blog. Secondly, I wanted to see if it would help my freelance writing business. Now, I am wondering if I can make money from it. Finally, I want to see if it can make a difference, however small.

Initially I thought, and perhaps others might think, that blogging is mainly about writing. What I’ve discovered is that, while it helps to have good writing skills, there is so much more to blogging. Successful bloggers must be: lifelong learners, social individuals, relevant, readers, and disciplined. (Of course, everyone has their own definition of success and yours may be different.) I’ll address each area individually.

Lifelong learning is an important blogging skill, not only to start a blog, but also to keep it going. There are so many areas to learn about. First, I needed to learn the best platform for my blog. There are a lot of questions a new blogger faces. Would I use a free platform like Blogger, or will I go with my own domain name and a hosting company? (I use my own domain name with BlueHost.) When that decision was made, I needed to learn how to manage my content, comments, and blogroll. I needed to learn how to download files to my site. I needed to learn how to use widgets. In fact, with a blog, the learning never stops. I probably learn at least one new thing every day.

Successful bloggers are social individuals. Unlike the diaries and journals that I was familiar with as a child, blogs are public. I decided very early on that I was not going to blog in a vacuum. I enabled my comments (with a spam filter turned on, of course) and I make an effort to interact with my readers. I answer their comments. I visit their blogs. I correspond through e-mail with several of my readers on a regular basis. I know people today that I wouldn’t know if I didn’t blog, and my life is richer for it. I also use some of the networking tools that the Internet provides. (It seems like there is a new tool out there every day.) Currently I am on: Blogg-buzz, MyBlogLog, SpicyPage, StumbleUpon, and Technorati.com. Last, but not least, I joined a blog network, GackInk, where I can mentor and be mentored.

Successful blogs must be relevant. When someone reads my blog they need to find something to hold their interest or they won’t return. Finding something relevant can be a stretching process for the blogger. I know that the questions “how would somebody use this information?” and “would anybody find this interesting?” stretch me. I’ve found that, if I have a question about something, usually others have the same question. That question is an opportunity for me to research the question and blog about it. I also find relevant topics for posts on forums, other blogs, and in everyday life.

I’m a big believer in the value of reading. I believe that the best writers were readers first. Reading definitely prepares me to blog. I read just about everything I can get my hands on: the newspaper, books, magazines, advertisements, other blogs, and the list goes on. Reading helps me recognize the difference between good writing and bad writing. Reading broadens my horizons and introduces me to new ideas and concepts. Reading also entertains me and gives me a reason to laugh. In short, reading has made me a writer and writing has made me a blogger.

Finally, bloggers have to be disciplined. One factor that many blog experts recommend for blogging success is consistency. It’s important to post new material on your blog on a regular basis. You’ve probably been frustrated, as I have, by finding an enjoyable blog, only to discover that there are no new entries. I try to have between three and five new posts on my blog each week. Most of them time I really enjoy blogging. It’s fun. It stimulates my creativity. I can post things that help others. I get to “meet” new people. However, to be totally honest, there are those days that I just don’t feel like posting. Maybe I’m sick. Maybe I’m buried with work. Maybe there are other issues bothering me. It helps to have a backlog of posts for those times. But sometimes, it just takes discipline to get that new post out there.

So, with WritingThoughts, my grand experiment goes on. I continue learning, making friends, finding what’s relevant, reading whatever I can, and discovering how to be disciplined in my approach to blogging.

Exseno on blogging

Exseno

I don't even presume that my blog is a 'Fine Art', that would be a fantasy, but it is something that I love to do and it has given me a great deal of enjoyment over the years.

I started blogging simply because it was something new to me that I wanted to try. It was like discovering a new fad.

I try to keep it interesting so, my blog is varied. Sometimes it is personal stories, sometimes politics, sometimes informative. Sometimes it simply depends on what's going on at that particular time.

As time went on, I soon learned that blogging is a wonderful way to meet and get to know people , their customs, their thoughts and their opinions from all around the world, something that I would have never been able to do otherwise.

The people that I have known for so long are like old friends and I would never want to lose them.

I have learned more from blogging then I would ever have learn without it and I hope to keep the friends that I have met along the way and to make new ones in the future.

Red Shoe Diaries

Fracas

Unlike the opinion of some people online, I don’t believe a blog needs to be defined. For some, blogging is a way to keep track of thoughts and personal growth. For others. it’s a way to catalog favorite quotes, poems, recipes, or any other tidbit of information that used to be collected and retained as intellectual treasure to the person who clipped it out and saved it in an old chocolate box. For others yet, blogs provide the means to share stories as opposite as a life or death struggle with cancer or a passion for gardening. Blogs can help people locate long lost family or friends, or even find a lifemate. Blogs take the place for many, of the newspaper columnist, providing a daily dose of humour and laughter to those who have stepped into this new world of internet communication and foregone the daily newspaper; blogs provide information for the knowledge seeker, on the technical ins and outs of communicating on the web.

A blog can be a business, a blog can be a hobby. A blog can be entertaining or a blog can make you cry. A blog can sell you something, or a blog can out a bad business.

A blog, is as unique then, as you or I.

So why do I blog?

I blog because I write, I blog because I enjoy learning. I blog because I see the internet as an opportunity to create for myself, that which only a few years ago, would’ve seemed imposssible. I blog for fun and I blog for finance. While I develop a blog that is unique with my own personality, I am learning and what I learn will eventually become what I do for a living.

I chose WordPress because I honestly believe there is no better platform for a free blog.

There are countless bloggers who’ve been an inspiration to me. Some are financially succesful, some impress by the sheer volume of traffic they receive. Some are little known, but yet… it’s the blogger behind it that has somehow inspired me and just knowing they’re there is what makes me smile. What there is no question about though, is that all have in some way, provided the inspiration to carve for myself, a new path… a path not unlike Dorothy’s yellow brick road.

And what could be more fitting than a yellow brick road, for the woman behind the Red Shoe Diaries?

The Fine Art of Blogging

Jalal Hameed Bhatti

Before the world of internet, expression of one’s inner voice and persuasion of literary stride was an unthinkable for most of the people. Only those who could afford to publish their literary work were listened to by the world. The cheapest forum was the newspapers, magazines and tabloids, but access to these was very limited since the editors had a choice to accept and reject.

Then came the internet as we know it today. It was easily accessible and provided a limited platform to the writers to use it to express their work. It was not till the beginning of the 90s, when the blogging thing appeared and it came with such a bang that today more than anything it is the most favourite of all ages. Even children have a flare for blogging and are adding their young inquisitive thoughts to the World Wide Web.

Most of the bloggers start blog as a hobby, but the concept of making money now seems to be overtaking blogging for mere pleasure sake or sharing one’s thoughts with others. Today more and more bloggers are interested in how to make money rather than using it for their literary pursuits. Perhaps one of the most favourite question being asked from the SEOs and the “successful” bloggers is how to make money. Although there are many companies that assist the bloggers in doing so, it remains still a million dollar question as everyone has one’s own strategy in this regard.

As per different surveys taken to know why people blog, one of the analysis I found worth quoting. As per the survey, a majority (about 49-50%) blog for personal pleasure and pass time, while the remaining 50% is spread over making money and to promote business, either own or that of the employer.

Blogging in general remains explorative, as more and more bloggers join in the blogging community each day to explore their writing skills and polish their literary techniques. The platform provided by many free service providers, like the Blogger of the Google, can be used to one’s convenience from the comfort of one’s home or work place. Blogging is also challenging as it provides a contesting place as people read blogs and leave imprints, both negative and positive. I once read a blog by Peggy Payne, the Peggy Payne’s Boldness Blog, in which she describes her blog as “a conversation designed to encourage creativity, spunkiness, and audacity of the most profound, delightful and deeply fulfilling sort.” And how aptly has she described the fine art of blogging which served as inspiration for me and I am sure for countless novices vying to express their voice through blogging forum.

There are many ways to fine tune one’s blog and we will talk of these in our coming posts. A friend of mine has a blog with a beautiful caption, which is now the caption of my post. Yes the Fine Art of Blogging by my friend Shirazi is a wonderful platform to fine tune one’s blog. I will post excerpts from this blog in future, but for the time being, if you have time, have hop over to his blog and enjoy a professional’s input to better your blogging skills.

Universal aprons at Product Impex

Aprons are a necessary and one of the most useful items. From their beginnings when aprons were first introduced to save dress, aprons, now used for have come a long way. Now aprons are the most universal uniform out there in the market. In fact, all most all types of workers and hose wives use aprons. Aprons have a wide variety in terms of their usage. Aprons are used by nurses, medical practitioners, restaurant staff, mechanics, housewives and by many other for both domestic and professional purposes. Hence we can find aprons made specially by keeping the industry in which they will be used in mind. Aprons are also treated as decorative garments, especially for women.

Depending up on the purpose of aprons, patterns greatly vary. Product Impex offers aprons patterns based on the traditional designs as well as a fashion statement. At product Impex, you can get what you including bib aprons, bistro aprons and bar aprons that are very popular among the restaurant staff and the housewives. However the purpose of these aprons is unique in their own way. Each of these aprons has got their own advantages and equally good. Approach Product Impex and we will provide what you want.

Enigma Uncovered

Enigma

Ever since I was old enough to tie my shoelaces, I’ve been a compulsive dairiser. The need to jot down the minutiae of my then uneventful life was so overwhelming that everything - from a watched episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to what I had for dinner - was highlighted on rambling pages. I found comfort and a sense of wellbeing with my addiction, to me, it was a gateway to make sense of everything and everyone around me.

However, I realized I was spending less and less time recording the happenings of my life with every passing birthday, and more time living the undocumented. Something had to give.

Moments were passing by without much recognition. I only had fading memories of events to rely on. I was failing terribly in my duty to capture, freeze and store moments, however insignificant. I knew I had to find a different approach if I wanted to have something to look back on, to have a slight remembrance of how things felt when I saw or experienced them through blurry glasses of retrospection.

That’s when I discovered the fine art of blogging.It was like a message from above (or from the internet, if you prefer). I had googled a college mate I was trying to reconnect with when I came across her blog. It was a pivotal moment in my life and a reaffirmation on the path I had to travel. I decided to open an account, and decided on Enigma: Girl Uncovered because I felt that, not only was my general thinking a mystery to many, but that my future in the blogesphere was just that… an enigma. Would it last? Would I make a difference in the world? Will people be interested to read what I had to say?

I quickly discovered that blogging was better than a hand written diary. Up until the point where I started blogging, my diary was receiving the “nothing much happened today” cold shoulder approach. I think the idea of an audience encouraged me to write on a regular basis. It must be the exhibitionist in me. The same one that is outspoken, drinks far too many Bloody Marys and sings karaoke at random bars. Even when I had experienced a dull day, I could reflect back on extraneous conversation and think how I can write them up and make them funny and interesting. Going through life trying to find something interesting to write about has been my saving grace in many ways. I’m now more aware, curious and informed. It has also helped me become a better writer [Not really, but it doesn’t hurt to push things a bit].

Another reason I enjoy blogging is the fact that it offers me a platform to interact with people around the world. I love that people can leave comments after a post, controversial or otherwise. Why people read my trifling ramblings is still a mystery to me, but I like it. The nobility of some comments are an everyday affirmation that I’m doing something right, and the tasteless ones, well, they create a balance and make life that much more interesting – I try and put a positive spin on it anyway. Conversely, blogging has been therapeutic for me. On many occasions it has resulted in tears, snot and a bloated face. I like to think this is a healthy and normal thing.

All in all, I’ve gotten to know interesting, funny, thought provoking and talented bloggers out there. And I’m very grateful for this opportunity….

*Places a tiara on head and waves arm in the air like Miss Universe*

And I wouldn’t trade this experience in for all the hand written diaries in the world. Offer my shoes and I might change my mind.

World peace!

Phew! I’m glad I got that out of the way. Now, for my ‘I want Angelina Jolie to Adopt Me’ post…

Net10 Unlimited Plan

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living in the age of fast communication, everyone can take advantages of economical facilities and stay in touch within business as well as social circles. One of the best ways is to use is a prepaid wireless service offering all local, long distance and roaming calls. Prepaid wireless service is the best particularly for those who frequently need to call.

Given the demand, there are number one choices for all of prepaid calling requirements. Personal research reveals that NET10  by TracFone Wireless - America's #1 prepaid wireless company – is the best. There are no contracts, credit checks, monthly fees, security deposits, activation or deactivation charges, or age restrictions to use their service and be a real NET10 customer.

Have a look at cute NET10 commercial and find out about the great deal they offer and how. Also hear what what Rob has to say about being a real NET10 customer. Where else you can have nationwide coverage, best connectivity and unlimited talk, text, and data in only $50 a month. Not only that, you can switch between plans each month to suit your budget and airtime needs, without penalties or any additional fees.

I suggest you see the Light and be a real NET10 customer to take advantages of Net10 Unlimited plan.

The Far Queue

Pisces Iscariot

I began blogging despite myself. I’d listened to an acquaintance waxing lyrical on about his blog (the blog of an ordinary man), and after reading his posts I wondered at the arrogance and ignorance of this individual who could go so far as to believed that his ‘dear diary’ cataloguing the minutiae of his everyday life in all its paint-stripping banality could possibly be of interest (let alone importance) to that audience that lurks out there in the electronic ether. Suffice to say that the blog was more interesting than the man… but only just. 

Of course, the seed now planted, germinated in my own ego and I found myself believing that I could create something more, something interesting; something different.

And from the ego, the alter-ego Pisces Iscariot was born and The Far Queue was spawned.

The name Pisces Iscariot is the title of a Smashing Pumpkins album; a name which I felt would accurately portray the character of my inner self:

• 
  
  Pisces - my star sign and all the creative and melancholy lunacy that comes with it


• 
  
  Iscariot – perfect surname for one who has betrayed all of the religious beliefs he was brought up to propagate.

Of course, the ‘The Far Queue’ is nothing more than a bad pun – a perfect vehicle for the acerbic nature of Pisces’ thoughts.

Ultimately, the act of having to come up with regular posts to keep the Queue moving has been a huge benefit to both my writing skills and my state of mind; often helping to clarify my own world view or simply purging my pent up frustration at the insane nature of the post Post-Modern world...

To me the basic premise of blogging is a lie – the individual presenting the self to the world is compelled to lie (even if only slightly) – for the perception of self can only be from behind the curtain of the face, and the human desire to be liked (if not loved) will almost certainly present that self in the best possible light (as perceived by that self).

When blogging incognito (under a pseudo-self), we are presented with a zen-like contradiction – the self presented, although a lie, is true to the pseudo-self and need fear no reprisals from, or offense to, friends and colleague of the self for opinions given.

Thus, the idealised Pisces Iscariot, although the essence of my self, and while a more honest being than my self, is not in fact a true representation of my self as seen by those who know me as a living breathing human being.

Blogging, for me then, is an exercise in freedom, but as with all freedom, care must be taken not to allow that freedom to corrupt.

The The Far Queue welcomes careful diverse.

SubSet

John Lampard

I've been "blogging" in one form or another since 1997. The word "blog" didn't exist then. Nor did Google - it was Yahoo! and Alta Vista then! ;)

People had "personal websites" where they would "showcase" themselves, their interests, their hobbies, their photos, their art, their poetry and lyrics, their favourite websites, whatever.

Almost as an "aside", personal websites would include a journal, that was very much like an online diary. Or the forerunner of the blog. But it was only a part of a personal website, and was by no means the central focus.

We very rarely wrote consistently about a specific topic. We only used the word "niche" when talking about exclusive boutiques!

My reasons for blogging today are exactly the same as my reasons for "journaling" back in the day.

I love to write, express ideas, and reach out and meet other people. I started to met a lot of web designers in Sydney back then, through their personal sites and journals, and together a number of us went on to form the first inception of the Australian INfront, a community of Australian web designers, with the aim of raising the international perception of Australian web creatives.

I am still meeting a lot of cool and interesting people, and blogging for the most part is fun, although it is no longer quite the same "past time" activity it used to be. A lot of people taking blogging too seriously, yet it is those who don't that seem to, that have the most "success" (wish I was one of them...! ;)

Sometimes writing, or blogging, can feel like a chore, or feel downright boring. That's until I look back on a finished piece of writing, or a blog post, and think "I'm glad I wrote that, I feel good now!"

Table for Five

Elizabeth

I started my first blog Table for Five when I was on bed rest while pregnant with my daughter. I have never been good at keeping baby books, and I wanted to remember those little moments that come and went so quickly each day. I knew if I could just jot them down on my blog, the memories would be there forever. I have since added two other blogs - MomReviews which is for product and personal reviews, and MomCooks for recipes.

I never have a problem coming up with blog topics. My kids and husband provide me with plenty to write about, and I can always post a few photos and tell the story behind them. I find that I get the best response from readers when I open up to them and write about something deeply personal. Readers like knowing that they aren’t the only ones who feel a certain way about something. No matter what you are dealing with, someone else out there has dealt with it too.

Buying my own domain and hosting it at Wordpress really changed the way I blog now. Even though I still struggle with PHP code, the tools that Wordpress offers are invaluable for not only creating a good blog but keeping it fresh. I’m a big fan of Wordpress plugins and am very grateful to all of the people who work so hard to come up with new ones. I also am very supportive of social networking sites like MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog, and BumpZee. Forming communities and neighborhoods with other bloggers brings me traffic to my site, and introduces me to a wide variety of blogs and blogging styles.

I have had a couple of personal high blogging points since starting my blog. I have been given the “Thinking Blogger Award” by a fellow blogger, and I was nominated by readers for two Blogger’s Choice Awards.

I started making money by blogging on March 1st of this year. I first signed up with PayPerPost, and then through friends I met there, I signed up with six other paid blogging sites. Because not all of them have jobs available every day, it gives me a constant stream of work. I consider blogging to now be my job. I work more than full-time hours on my blogs each day. If you want to make money blogging, you have to take it seriously. Advertisers are looking for quality blogs, and that means good sentence structure, excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation, a commitment to keeping the blog updated even if you don’t have a paid blogging topic to write about, and, of course, traffic. If you aren’t getting traffic to your sites, get yourself out there! Join every networking site you can find, ask your readers if they know about any new ones. List your blog in directories, use your URL in your message board signature. You have to be your own BIGGEST fan! You have to be proud of your blog and what you write on it. That is what will make you stand out as a blogger.

Girl Who Knows Your Boss

nita Bruzzese

I began blogging within the last couple of months because I really wanted a way to bring together the readers of my nationally syndicated workplace column for Gannett News Service and USA Today. I have received hundreds of letters over the last 15 years of doing the column, and thought it might be helpful to let readers connect directly with one another about workplace issues.

I’ve always believed that information is power, and I think that the personal experiences and opinions from people in the work trenches can be helpful. I know that I learn something each time I interview an expert or read a workplace/career book, and I thought that I could share even more of that information through the blog, in addition to getting the input from others who visit it.

To me, a blog is a way to continue the conversation I have with readers every week through the column. It’s a chance to say, “Oh, yeah, and one more thing…”

For my blog, I focus strictly on issues that affect people at work. Usually, I include information that I wasn’t able to fit in the column, or something interesting that I saw in another publication or that I discovered in research of a workplace topic.

I’m relatively new to the blogging experience, but I think it’s just like any other life experience. You have to reach out to others, you have to put aside your fears and just go for it in order to really experience what’s out there. I promote my blog mostly through my column and my Web site (www.anitabruzzese.com). And, of course, I like talking to other bloggers and learning about them.

I became a journalist more than 20 years ago, post-Watergate. I have always felt that being a journalist is a calling, that it is a service to others. I didn’t get into it for the money or the fame or the chance to be on some talk show where I try to out-yell another “journalist.” To me, being a journalist is a chance to help others understand issues, to help them function better and get more out of life. I think blogging is like that in a lot of ways. Many bloggers out there do feel they have a higher calling that they’re trying to shed light on subjects that need to be discussed and revealed. They, like me, want to serve their community.

I get a real kick out of it when someone writes something on my blog. I love interviewing people, and getting to know what makes someone tick. I think when someone writes on the blog, I’m getting another chance to see what a person is thinking. That’s always interesting. As for making money? The only benefit to me is if someone becomes more familiar with my name and then goes out and buys a book….

I’ve learned you’ve got to keep your posts short. I overdid it in the beginning and my blogging friends told me I was too long-winded. Now, I think of myself more as a facilitator… I just try and get people interested in a subject and then get out of the way and let them have at it. It’s much more meaningful when you give them pertinent facts and then let them apply it to their own lives. I don’t think anyone likes to be preached at for very long…they’ll quickly lose interest if they don’t get a chance to have their say.