As one enters the spa, a regal-looking ceiling fan makes an awesome impression of classic elegance. My cousin carefully chose this ceiling fan to complement the decor of the spa. She meticulously picked it out from  Hansen Wholesale Ceiling Fans. The outlet sells various types of ceiling fans that come in different styles, finishes and brands. She was completely thrilled of her purchase. She even bought 3 more to make the spa more comfy and relaxing.

Actually, she loved how the ceiling fans look in her establishment that she recommended Hansen to her friends. She told her friends the proof is in the way the ceiling fans made her business place look so good.  The site also sells lighting fixtures, fireplaces and barbecue grills. The prices are so low that she even bought her lighting fixtures there.

I still do not understand this Twitter thing. Although I have read numerous articles raving about the wonderful things Twitter has done to their business or blog, I still don't get it. It seems Twitter is a hodgepodge of all sorts of people, of all sorts of purposes, with all sorts of information that no one wants to really know about. 

One blogger who runs a moneymaking blog swore that he gets traffic from Twitter. Well, it's no puzzle because he follows more than 19,000 people and has almost 23,000 followers. Well, he better has to get followers and traffic because blogging is the only source of income he ever has. I have nothing against Twitter. Its creator was brilliant enough to transform SMS to the web. But it has a lot of limitations. I do not even think it's micro-blogging. How could you blog with only 140 characters allowed? What do they micro-blog about? Most users are just like "shouting and yelling" to everybody yet at no one in particular, and it's like nobody ever listens to them.   And the worst thing is, most users just twit stuff that no one cares about. Who cares about what you have for dinner? Or how nice and hot your coffee is? Isn't coffee supposed to be nice and hot? Who cares if you have to pick up your kids after blogging? Or who gives a damn that you feel lousy and cranky today? Maybe each thought that comes into mind is fascinating and ought to be shared. to everybody. These are strangers, people. Unless you follow only people you know and only people who know you follow you, then that might be interesting or "news."  And truthfully, how much of these information could anyone really absorb?

The co-founder of Twitter, Evan Williams said that Twitter is not a social network, but an information network, " What we have to do is deliver to people the best and freshest most relevant information network. It tells people what they care about as it is happening in the world." However, most users make Twitter like a "channel with a microphone" screaming to everybody whatever they want to say and whatever their thoughts are, which they think are so important that others care about are fascinated about.

Honestly, I don't like Twitter. I just follow whose blog I like to read or those who regularly reads my blog. I don't follow PR agencies, copywriting professionals, fitness experts, internet marketing businesses, work-at-home hocus-focus websites, porn stars, celebrities, and bloggers who write non-English blogs (except Filipino ). At the end of each month, I unfollow people. Those who have not followed me for 2 months and still are actively engaged Twittering, I unfollow them. I used the FriendorFollow.com to determine who are those users I follow who don't follow me back, so I can unfollow them. In the same manner, people unfollow me probably because I don't twit that much or I just Twit my blog updates or other significant online articles. Or because I twit repeatedly the same thing over and over again.

If you're asking why I'm into Twitter even if  I don't  fancy  it, it is because every blogger I know has a Twitter account. My blog platform, Typepad has this cool feature that automatically shares my blog post to Twitter each time I publish it. (Typepad aslo shares it with your Facebook and FriendFeed accounts). How could I not use it when it's available, right? I also would still like to believe that it can generate traffic to my blog, even if I still don't see massive results from Twitter. I also go to Twitter to see what my network is Twittering all about and I only read twits that are relevant and not those which are like a chronicle of their minute-by-minute mundane world.

There are so many testimonials about the power of Twitter. But unless I see its results manifested in my life, then surely I would believe that. Meanwhile, I will keep on twittering (or is it Twitting?)

Honestly, do you really  like Twittering?

I'd submit a photo of her and her cat, and the photo will be replicated onto a blanket , warm enough to snuggle during the cold season. Oh, I love this idea. I must hurry up now and look for those nice photos of my mom-in-law and her cat. I'm absolutely sure she would love this unique Christmas gift.

Last November 4, he guested in the American TV talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" where he talked about his dog, his kids, his movie and his forthcoming fight on November 14. When you watch this clip, you would  be amused at his candor whenever he answers Jimmy's questions. Despite his poor English, he did pretty well on making his points come across. His sincerity is what makes him so adorable, and the humility he showed is exemplary, "Actually he,(Cotto) is the  champion of this fight and I'm just the challenger." 

And I remember after winning the fight against Hatton last May, Manny said  "I'm just doing my job."

This is probably why Manny succeeds in knocking every opponent down---his genuineness, his humility, hard work and determination are the qualities of every true winner. 

Watch this clip, I assure you, it's delightful. Be sure to watch the two (2) parts.

PART 1

PART 2

The importance of web directories should not be missed or downplayed. Its inherent nature of  linking to other websites and categorizing those links will  make the relevance and the popularity of your site on search engines. Most web directories list websites in a wide range of categories and some are niche categories such as  shopping web  directory, business web directory, and so many more.  Human-edited directories are created and maintained by volunteer editors who would add links based on the policies of that directory such as Jasmine Directory. There are two (2) types of web directories; the free web directory and the paid web directory. Most human-edited directories are SEO-friendly and they often attract search engines that are vital to the improvement of rankings. Submitting your website to web directories is essential to elevate your site's popularity, traffic and ranking. This is mainly because most web directories such as DMOZ or Jasmine Directory, are already well-ranked on various search engines that they attract a lot of traffic from search engine results pages.

Therefore, it is absolutely essential for any blogger or website author/owner to submit his site to an SEO friendly web directory. If you haven't done it yet, I urge you to do it now.

In the Philippines, tipping is accepted although not a general rule because as a poor, starving nation, people are penny-pinching, and trying to get exactly back  the amount of money they actually own is the norm. In Japan, tipping is non-existent, and is considered impolite.

But in America, tipping is similar to an "unspoken, unwritten law" but everybody practices it like if you break the rules, you'd be penalized in a detention cell for a day  to a  year in prison. So, every American tips. No matter how crappy the job is, every American customer should tip. From the hairdresser, hair shampooer, waiter/food server, bartender, doorman, driver, or practically anyone who keeps flashing  that signature, almost obnoxious, toothy smile even if there's nothing to smile about. Or to anyone who just keeps asking  you , " How are you today?" Worse, you still have extend that extra bucks even if they simper, smirk, scowl or sulk.

I usually tip if I am paying. But because I usually patronize Filipino business establishments around in Queens in New York City, I did not have to be conscious about my tipping habits. I tipped whatever amount I wanted to. When my husband and I started dating, he usually paid through a debit card including tips. Hence, we never met any trouble with the workers-for-tips. Always conscious about the exact amount of tips, my husband keeps it straight. If he likes the way you handle and treat his needs, he can be more than  big-hearted.

So used to this lifestyle in America, I never had a trouble with tipping except for one time. A hairstylist at Creative Haircuts around here in our area in New Haven, yelled at me when I asked her to blowdry my hair. It was a day before Christmas and I was feeling a little bit generous but because of her snippy behavior, I did not give a tip. I did not care whether she'd bitched about it because by nature, she was one. Good thing, she did not run after me.  I never went back to that hair salon again. However, I got around to think about it myself. Why should I tip if I do not like the service or if it's a lackluster, so-so "performance?" I learned that it's just the way it is. And nobody complains around here.

Until one day, my friend from Dubai who's well-travelled (because of her previous job's perks) visited  the world's greatest city--New York City. She and her husband had experience "the New York City tipping law," which apparently threw her off. After dining in a posh Manhattan restaurant,  the waiter chased the couple outside on the street just to tell them they still owe the waitstaff a dollar for gratuity. Of course, whilst in the sidewalk , in downpour, the hubby fumbled through his pocket and handed the $1.00 to the waiter who obviously was panting from his frantic sprint to catch the couple in the street for his meager buck. My friend, in shock, could not believe it happened.

Of course, she does not understand it.  Europeans are not familiar with the custom of tipping in the U.S.  Her lifestyle, attitude, and taste are European. And the restaurant staff does not embrace European's manner of tipping. The incident  had surely upset her. In Europe, tipping is not obligatory, nor mandatory. They tip just because they want to, not because they must. My friend told me this story, growing a scorn on the "greatest city in the world." I've also learned that New York City service workers hate the Europeans when they tip because they tip from anywhere to $0 to $3 regardless of the total amount of the bill.

Another incident occurred when my visiting friends from Los Angeles visited New York City. The couple and I were in downtown Manhattan's Chinatown shopping when we stopped for early dinner at a Chinese (of course) restaurant. When we finished, my friend paid. I footed the tip, but not enough so we all stood up  from our seats fishing through our pockets and purses for a few more one dollar bills for the tip. But before we could find any coins or a dollar, the waiter neared us and said, "You've got to give us more tip. You see, the total is $23.00 , 15 % should be the tip. The tip should be $3.45." I was so flustered with embarrassment. My friend said, "Of course we know. We're not finished yet. And we're not leaving either. We are still searching for more money to give you."

The nerves of these people! I could  just grit my teeth. At that moment, I wanted to take back the money. I was disgusted. My friend's experience with the sprinting waiter  was horrifying. And ours was also the same thing.

For those of you who are not familiar with U.S. tipping rates, the waitstaff or foodservers are usually tipped from 15 % to 20  % off the total amount of the bill. So does the bartender. Also, a limo driver, colorist and hairstylist expects that 15% to 20% gratuity money they all think they deserve. Because of the high percentage of tipping for the waitstaff and foodservers, most restaurant owners pay them low wages or even below the minimum. This is probably why the paranoia gets them because if they don't have the exact amount of  tip,  then they would really  have a terribly bad day.

Being in the U.S. for so long, I have been accustomed to this nationally-sanctioned "etiquette." Personally, I think this practice does not achieve anything but the tolerance of "bad service" and instead rears a greedy purpose in "service-oriented" entities.  I strongly opine that those countries like Japan have a better service than those countries who support tipping. What if  you are unsatisfied with the rendition of the job that he's supposed to do? Will you have to tip the right amount exacted by "law" even if you feel he's undeserving of such gratuities?  Yes, here in America. However, no matter how displeased you are with the service, in the exception of a real terrible one, you are OBLIGATED to tip.

But I found another alternative. It is a unique auction site that sells brand new (not used and not slightly-used) products for buyers and consumers to bid at less than a day. or only for a day. The remarkable difference of this auction site from any other, is that the prices are so incredibly low. What makes it so unique is that the  products are auctioned in different time frames. There is the speed auction where the countdown is significantly shorter. The winner of the bid at the 0 dollar-auction wins the product without paying a single cent on it and shipping cost is free. The 20-second auction is where the auction starts at 20 seconds and with every bid placed, the countdown increases by 20 seconds. Similarly, the 15-second auction operates in the same manner with 15 seconds added to each bid placed. Also, a 10-second auction takes place while a fixed price auction allows the winning bidder to pay the price suggested in the heading.  This really sounds cool and way much better than Ebay.

While I was browsing the auction site, there was a user who recently won a bid for a brand-new Apple Ipod Nano that sold at retailers for $157, which he paid only for $12.36. Another user paid only $0.4 (4 cents) for a Samsung 22" HD LCD TV that was originally priced at $538.00. And a $2,798 MacBook Air was sold for unbelievably low price of $97.18 The deals are so crazy and maddening. I could not believe it. But it's happening there. I am going to register now. I have my eyes on a PS3 which I am going to give to my hubby as a Christmas gift. With all these deals, I really can buy everyone on my Christmas list with their wish-list.

As  Christians (but not Catholic), we do not celebrate Halloween in our family or household . Although this day is attributed to catering fun  and pleasure to kids, its origins are deeply rooted in paganism, practice of witchcraft and sorcery, and closely connected with the worship of the Enemy of the World (Satan). It is a holiday that mostly glorifies the "dark things of the world" rather than the Light of the World (Jesus Christ).

However, America celebrates this ancient holiday still, and with its popularity, the reality of occultism, witchcraft, neo-paganism, spiritism and satanism are all associated with Halloween. In fact, witches celebrate Halloween as much as your little ones dressed up in their terrifying costumes. Horror movies and gruesome murder movie scenes are Halloween fares in the entertainment world.  This holiday was not recognized in America until in the 1800's when a large wave of immigrants from the Celtic areas of Europe brought their Halloween practices with them. The Celts are heathen tribesmen from Ireland, Scotland, France and other parts of Western Europe.

In the ancient days, the Celts believed that during October 31 when summer ends , the spirits and ghosts of the dead visit the land of the living looking for human bodies to inhabit. To confuse  and scare the spirits and ghosts away, the pagans dressed up in costumes and  paraded around the streets making loud noises. They also set bonfires to frighten evil spirits and leave food outside their doors to ghosts and demons so they would not harm the living inside their houses. During this time, the celebration of Samhain  marks the transition from  its summer goddess to the horned god of the winter solstice, from the lighter half of the year to the "darker half of the year"  which is the Celtic New Year.   Samhain is the name of their "god of death", and on that day, Samhain permits the dead souls to visit the living ones.  Thus, skulls, cemeteries, skeletons, corpses  and other ghoulish images were used to symbolize death.  Also the Druids, the priests of the Celtics, offered human sacrifices to Samhain. Because of the various practices of witchcraft, sorcery and occultism, during this day,  Halloween is deemed objectionable for a Christian to celebrate.

No matter how commercialized Halloween is and being perceived as a "holiday for kids to play dress-up", Halloween has almost completely pagan roots. But as Christians, we do have a choice to celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween. The Bible does not have any scriptural pronouncement against Halloween. But God is against evil and witchcraft practices;

"You shall not let a witch live." Exodus 22:18

"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or cast spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.." Deuteronomy 18:10-12

"Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them..." Leviticus 19:31

"I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut off from his people" Leviticus 20:6

In Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon reveals that Christianity and sorcery cannot mix, and the account of Elymas the Sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 tells us that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity.

Now the question is, is there anything evil in dressing up, going door-to-door asking for candy and sweets? No, there is nothing. As long as you make sure your children do not participate in activities that involve the darker aspects of Halloween, and their costume,  attitude and behavior all reflect a redeemed life, then there's really nothing wrong in celebrating this day that is currently geared for kids. Though the Roman Catholic Church sees a Christian connection with Halloween, some fundamentalist churches view negativity in Halloween. There are also a number of  Christian denominations holding that the tradition does not carry "satanic influences" and poses no threat to children's spiritual growth. Yet some Christians discourage even the donning of costumes and trick-or-treating.

Nevertheless, some Christians celebrate it instead  by holding a "harvest party" without the innocuous costumes. Some hand out candies and chocolate treats to church members and their children with messages from the Bible. 

What matters most is that we, Christians, don't let our convictions about a holiday sever relationships with people. Neither we can use our freedom to make others stumble in their faith.

"Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters." Romans 14:1

Anyway, let me remind you that  Halloween was like, something new to me when I first set foot here in America. You see, in the Philippines where I originally hail from ,  Halloween is not a holiday. Instead, All Souls Day and All Saints Day are commemorated on November 1st and November 2nd, after Halloween. When I was doing this research about Halloween, I was surprised that there are distinctive similarities of these holidays---the common factor is spirits of the dead.

Originally introduced by the Spaniards who colonized and ruled the Philippines in the 15th century, All Saints (or Todos Los Santos ) and All Souls Day are celebrated in the Catholic-dominated Philippine islands. When the Romans invaded the British empire, including the whole of Ireland and Scotland, the Catholic Church took over the Samhain celebration starting on the eve of November 1 which the pagans call "All Hallows Day." But "All Hallows Day" was never considered a Christian holiday. Instead, the Catholic Church honor the souls of the saints during this day. November 2 was also ascribed by the Catholic Church to be the "feast of all souls" to honor and pay respect to the dead whose souls are still in a state of limbo  (in purgatory) before going to either heaven or hell. This is specific to the Roman Catholic Church who believes that there exists the souls of the departed faithful who have not yet been purified nor have reached heaven.

In the Philippines, All Saints Day or "Araw ng Namayapa" (Day of the Deceased), usually starts on the eve of October 31st when the families of the dead clean, repaint or repair tombstones,  adorn them with flowers, lit up candles, put up tents over the tomb markers or tombstones and set food. Most families spend an overnight stay, camping and sleeping at the tents they pitched around their dead's tombstones. The observance prevails until November 2 which is "All Soul's Day" . The Philippine government declares these days as national holidays giving all Filipinos the privilege to observe them.

But instead as a solemn homage to the dear departed, the holiday intended for the souls is apparently a joyous celebration for Filipinos with a party-like atmosphere in cemeteries. Pop music, food stalls, and commercial booths teem around the cemeteries capitalizing on the profit potentials of the holiday. These rituals are odd to other Christian nations but, to Filipinos the merriment of these holidays are "in celebration with the dead" believing that this holiday can lift the spirits of their  burdens of losing a loved one. Filipinos are generally happy people who want to remember their exultant moments with their dead relatives when they were alive rather than observing these holidays soberly and pensively.

Now that I'm here in America, I do not look forward to this holiday anymore. Besides , being a Christian, I don't believe in the Catholic tenet of purgatory . These holidays for saints and the deceased are not parts of the American culture and tradition. What I do  instead is offer a special prayer for my late father and  deceased grandparents. 

I just talked to my friend on the phone about 5 days ago and she did not even mention she was flying to Europe for a mini vacation. Well, I figured  because she earns the privilege of grabbing the best flight discounts any time she wants it as she is a flight reservations executive of a major U.S. airline carrier, while her husband is a pilot. They must enjoy such sweet deals every time and anywhere. She even mentioned she also gets discounted rates at hotels in Zurich, and hotels in Barcelona. No wonder, she saves a lot on her vacations and trips because she avails of privileges from her job, and cheap rates which she found online.

She scours on a site offering cheap hotel rates that offers savings of up to 70 %. The site also features reviews of each hotel available from real people. It's so convenient for her because it allows her to book instantly right online. So far, according to her, this is the best and most comprehensive search site for discounted and reduced hotel rates she had ever found.  Well then, no wonder she lives quite a jet-setter's life on a budget.

You know, most of my  regular readers here  know that I absolutely detest the winter season. Coming from the 7,100 tropical islands of the Philippines where the weather is summer all year round, I'm still not used to the chill here in this side of America.  It's only October and fall had just started less than a month ago, and things had already started to be bitterly cold. When cold days overwhelm me, I always go down in the dumps. I yearn to go home to my warm motherland.

But instead of booking a flight back to my country, I hit Walmart to buy a new pair bootie slippers. My feet get cold first sending me chills all over my nerves and muscles. That is why I make sure my feet are always covered all day and all night. Then we have to stock up lip balms/moisturizers. My favorite is  the eco-friendly Burt's Bees. I also have to double up the gobs of  hand cream. I used Avon last winter, but this time, I am going to try the one I got as a gift from purchase of Yves Rocher products.  The freezing temps cause my hands to get really dry. My husband bought two Snuggies which we love. A Snuggie is a fleece throw with sleeves that allow your hands free to do anything. We also took out the electric blanket. At night, we don't turn the heat on, but instead bundle up with our electric blanket that we got for $60 last year. It definitely reduced our heating bills in the winter. Also, my husband and I applied plastic film  on to our windows to block any gaps causing cold air to seep indoors. This technique has been helpful to us in saving electricity by avoiding usage of the heater all day.

Socks with Toes

Our ever reliable electric blanket

Plastic for windows

My Snuggie

Slipper booties from Walmart

Connecticut's electricity cost is the highest in continental USA. Another reason for us to get out of this cold, rich state. Don't ask me how much we pay because I don't even want to tell you. It's ridiculously expensive. 

PJ's lotion and facial scrub samples

Well then, right now, I am bracing myself for the comeback of subzero temps  in the next few weeks.  I know I will hate it, but that's what I have to live with. Things may be uncomfortable and I may never like it. However, each season brings is a hope. Just like life, there's a season that is always temporary and fleeting. The most important thing, there is always a promise that all of us pass through each season. As God created seasons to teach us  the promise of His faithfulness, He also teaches us that His faithfulness and our perseverance guarantees that life will not overcome us, but we will overcome it.

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THE EFFECTS OF SUBZERO TEMPERATURES

WHAT I HATE IN MY COUNTRY IS WHAT I LOVE IN AMERICA

I am fantasizing a respite in idyllic British Virgin Islands. Images of me swimming in the blue ocean waters, snorkeling underwater, kayaking, picnicking, and horseback riding fill my mind whenever I feel dreary because of this weather. It will also be fun to swim with dolphins in Tortola,  in the virgin beaches and crystal-clear waters in Prospect Reef Port. This will be a new and thrilling adventure for me and my husband since this will be the first time we will be swimming with  dolphins.

Oh, I can't wait for this cold, freezing weather to end. I know it will still be a year before the next summer comes. However, I am keeping this in mind that when the warm season comes back, I'd definitely go and take this experience of a lifetime. It's like being in the company of these animals in their world for a day that will surely gonna make beautiful memories.

Lately, I am blown by surprise when I discovered that  he could decipher a Filipino everywhere----in the mall, on the streets, and on TV. He said it's easy. I guess taking him to every Filipino gathering I know and sometimes being the only American made him observe us with all our idiosyncrasies.  According to him, the  only difficult part to discern Filipinos is when Filipino musical artists sing----he said he could hardly distinguish an accent. Well, just like British musicians, they sing with an indiscernible British twang. 

Although this topic is covered by  some bloggers, I was most inspired by this "How to Spot a Filipino" article in  a discussion forum.  But here on my post, I would only cover what my husband find awesomely amusing. With almost 6 years of marriage, and a year of dating, my husband is becoming really good in detecting a Filipino in more ways than I know.

Here is his list (I used "he" as a general pronoun. All underlined texts are links to my previous posts that discuss these topics wholly.)

1) When he says the word "already"  multiple times in one sentence ---example, " I already booked him already,sir for tomorrow, already." Already is only used when the action happens too soon before it should happen as in  "He already left (Because he should not leave yet at this time).

2) When he points with his lips instead of his hands or fingers.

3) When he/she looks Asian  with a Spanish last name.

4) When he says "wid" instead of "with" or "dat" instead of "that", "brader" instead of "brother,", "mader" instead of "mother," and so on.

I was guilty of such, but I successfully erased that habit of pronouncing the "th" as "d." 

5)When she (particularly a Filipino woman) is  terribly afraid of the sun.

6) When she  uses an umbrella when she's out in the sun.

7) When he constantly offers food to everyone.

8) When he eats with a spoon and a fork.

9) When he says he takes a bath when he means a shower.

10) When he says "Sige" frequently when he talks with his fellow countrymen.

11) When he says "she" for "he" or "he" for "she"  and so on. (Filipino pronouns do not convey any gender. Filipino pronouns are "unisex" such as Siya, or Kanya are not indicative of the person's sex.)

12) When he loves to sing karaoke (videoke).

13) When he wears a different pair of slippers for "inside" the house, and a different pair of slippers  for "outside" the house.

14) When he brings lunch to work or school consisting of rice and another dish all placed  in one container.

15) When he calls everybody Tito or Tita to people who are unrelated to him.

16) When his car has either a rosary hanging overt the windshield or a sticker of  a Philippine flag .

17) When he says "I don't like you" when he's mad at you or upset at something you did.

18) When his middle name is his mother's maiden name.

19) When he writes each and every name from his birth certificate on every written form or document.

20)When he just smiles when you greet him with "Hi, how are you ?"

Have you spotted a Filipino today?

A smiling Filipino boy . Photo courtesy of my good friend, Jojie Alcantara.

Online bingo is very fun to play not only because it provides hours of amusement but also it offers cash prizes to the winners. One gaming site that allows participants to play free bingo,  also gives instant prizes. More than an online bingo site, it is actually an online community with so much fun activities. Such an enjoyable place to hang around for ladies ---play free bingo, win instant prizes, chat, along with multiple games, progressive jackpots, online magazine, blog, and so much more.

Among the games it features are slots, table games, and poker. Exclusively for ladies, it also enhances friendship and networking for women who are especially into gaming. It even has a free bingo every hour all day long. What's cool is that members of the community organizes bingo cruises in different places around the world. Their most recent one was in Mexico. So, if you're a lady who likes playing bingo online, you might want join this gaming community. Who knows luck is on your side?

Below the video, I supplied the complete lyrics.

A few years ago, my husband's low credit score had caused  a stressful time for him. He could not obtain a home loan in preparation for our marriage. When I came to his life, I immediately helped him do the task to repair credit. We sat down together, made a budget, and called for help. The help that we got successfully put us back on the right financial track. When I had trouble in paying my credit card a long time ago, I sought help from repair credit firms to help me fix my credit. So, I know how it felt to be in such dire straits that I urged my husband that we seek assistance.

Now, there are online sites that can help fix your credit, and do some for you such as assist you to get approval for any loan without fuss, help you save lots of money by not paying insanely high interest rates, and aid you in establishing a new positive credit.This is such an amazing concept that will help gain you balance in your life, and eventually give you peace.

Usually, at this time summer gear such as  for  outdoor  activities are sold at give-away prices.  I am thinking of buying frisbees for my nephews and gifting my brothers with target-shooting equipment.  I also looked for  outdoor furniture that are great on decks, patios and garden lawns.  I'm envisioning my dream house with a big patio overlooking a sea. There also backpacks that are on sale online. There are so many backpacks available online at very low prices such as leather backpacks, themed backpacks, and wheeled backpacks.

I'd been using this site,  Shopwiki for almost a year now for my online shopping especially when the holidays are coming. Shopwiki is a different shopping experience than any other sites I tried. It is actually like a search engine for price comparisons listing every store on the internet to allow you to compare prices. Unlike other comparison sites which only list the stores that pay their services, Shopwiki crawls through the internet listing each and every store that sells the product you're looking for.

Whenever I can't go to church, I spend about an hour reading my devotionals and listening to praise music while I meditate. But it is really different being in church, fellowshipping with one another, hearing God's Word through our pastor. That's why I'm always excited going to our church. Being there is different from praying  and reading my Bible alone at home. The devotional's scripture for today is summed up in a post in my Praise blog, entitled. "God Loves Us , He Really Does." Actually I just copied it to share it with others. Take a look at it.

Anyway, trees are starting to turn yellow, orange, and in a myriad of colors as a prelude to the most dreaded season of the year---winter.  Currently, the weather is still ambivalent being warm in some days , and cold in other days. However, we all know this is not going to be forever because inevitably,  the bitterness of the next season is to come.

With the  season changing, I have recently snagged a part-time job in  New York. I go to work every Friday for a whole day or even sometimes,  extending to half a day of Saturday. I don't earn that much, about $15.00/hr. ,  but it's great rather than sitting on my ass all week long, trying to figure out whether to blog about this or not, or whether there's a paid review opportunity available for me that is offering more than $9.00 per review.  (I don't do paid reviews of less than $9).

Sometimes, I find myself absolutely tired of blogging. I might go back to working full-time when there's a good job that I'm willing to slave for where my skills are put into good use, and compensated accordingly. When I started blogging, I thought this is an awesome thing to do. But in the long run,  blogging sapped my energy, my optimism,  and  replaced it with pessimism. I am becoming exhausted of blogging not only because of the criticisms, but because of the stress  caused by other "bloggers"  who want to let other bloggers know of  what should you do or what you should not do about your blog.  Like for instance, there's this blog post I read that says "How much is the value of your blog?" recommending his readers to have their blogs evaluated their net worth. Who the hell cares about how much your blog is? Am I trying to sell my blog? And if I want to, who will ever buy it? Some individual who's like me with the same experience and attitude I have here in America? Let us count those people...hmmm. The valuation site that he referred was  inaccurate , reading my stats and PR with erroneous information. I don't know why he recommended that site when it does not give you correct information.

In the meantime, Entrecard, the so-acclaimed  "free advertising network" is now displaying their own ads as part of their beta for their controversial paid ad advertising. Their new system, which I think defeated their purposes of "free advertising" that resulted to a lot of disgruntled members, who left Entrecard. Still, a vast amount of members are contemplating whether to abandon Entrecard or not. Personally, I do not like how the system works. I tried suggesting some ideas to them but I guess, who is "me" to take them seriously. Entrecard ignored everybody, pushing their "profiteering schemes" much to the dismay of the members who are Entrecard's own lifeblood.  The customer support is worse. Very condescending. That is why I am thinking of leaving. But sometimes, I do think of the traffic it gets although the bounce rate it rakes up is so high. 

But because I am  extremely pooped about blogging, I really don't know. I am just continuing this blog because I do make money here. If I stop blogging, this blog would be mostly paid posts. But I don't want it that way. That is why I still continue to write that MIGHT amuse you or inform you  or provoke you. So, I really don't know where this blog goes. As I've said before , Google might rank ,it PR 0  again and that would probably be the death of this blog. Besides, only a few of my friends really stop by to comment unlike before. People only just drop their Entrecard like hit-and-run. But in the meantime, I am staying still.  I positioned my Entrecard widget way down below in my sidebar because I don't like Entrecard's  fugly advertising widget.

I might go back to working full-time. After the holidays, early next year, I am going to seek full-time employment. I thought blogging was fun, but I am wrong.

The requirements for acquiring a US visa can be daunting and a big task for so many. Aside from that, there are so many complex processes that can cause more stress than anyone could ever expect. When I heard that a former classmate of mine expressing her intention to apply for a US visa so she can visit her sick cousin based in Texas, I told her about Global Visas which I found online. As I've perused its site, I am convinced that this would help her attain what my ex-classmate want. It is a world leading authority on immigration and visas for both corporate organizations and private individuals. It fully assists applicants even on UK, Canada and Australia visas.

With such vast services, Global Visas offers extensive and updated visa and immigration advice. As a multi-national company, it has offices worldwide to be within easy reach for applicants, providing visa and immigration solutions. Because it is founded by a former immigration official, the service was established to help clients cruise through the intricacies of visa acquisition and immigration procedures.

My ex-classmate took heed and told me she would fill out the form of inquiry as soon as possible. I think she was persuaded when she learned that Global Visas immigration experts will assist her from day one of her application until she finally arrives at her destination, and beyond. She said she would refer this site to her brother who is waiting for his petition from his wife in Arkansas.