FREE Giveaway: ExerSIGHS eBook

Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, ExerSIGHS: A Self-Esteem Workbook for Writers and Artists, filled with guided exercises and inspiration to boost your self-esteem effectively and immediately, triggering momentum for your next creative project, and breaking down blocks FOR GOOD. Download your copy here!

Free Holiday Music at Amazon.com

Amazon.com is offering 25 Days of Free - Every day through December 25th, they will unveil a new song available to download free for a limited time.

All of the songs unveiled so far are still available for free downloading!

Sears Don’t Just Give a Gift, Grant a Wish

Julie’s Journal - Sears Don’t Just Give a Gift, Grant a Wish.

Enter for a chance to win a $100 Sears gift card for you to go shopping and grant a wish for yourself, a family member, or your favorite charity. You can enter up to three times using the different entry methods listed on the site above.

You can blog it, you can tweet it and/or leave a comment listing what you'd get with your gift card. Deadline is 12/23/2008. Winners will be chosen on 12/29/2008.

FREE Giveaway: MoneyMorphosis eBook

Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, MoneyMorphosis: Ten Things Butterflies Can Teach Us About Money, which invites you to transform the way you think about money by following 10 metaphorical fables in which butterflies teach us about true prosperity. Download your copy here!

Tyson Sends Food for Blog Comments

This is real. For every blog comment, food will be sent to The Greater Boston Food Bank.

clipped from hungerrelief.tyson.com Everyone has a role in ending hunger.  All that The Food Bank does depends on the combined support of compassionate financial contributors, food donors, and more than 16,000 volunteers.   You can help today!   For every comment this post receives indicating it has been read, Tyson Foods, in partnership with Boston's Social Media Breakfast, organized by Bob Collins of  SHIFT Communications,  will donate 100 pounds of food (up to a truckload full with 35,000 pounds) to The Greater Boston Food Bank.  Help fill the truck.  Comment here (even one-word comments are acceptable – BTW, since the comments are moderated, it might take a bit to get them up, but the comments WILL be posted).

Check Out My New Roommates!

You can read all about them on their blog, The Tigger & Gateway Show.

Yes, they have their own blog and their own Twitter page - not because I'm a crazy cat lady, but because I needed a central place to share their progress and their pictures/videos with interested parties, like The Humane Society of NY (which is where I adopted them). I also wanted a means of illustrating how a blog, Twitter and various Twitter tools can be used to provide that central place, update it on a regular basis, and broadcast those updates to interested parties.

Long story short, after Theo died, I knew from past experience that I would be adopting again. It seems to be what works. The Humane Society had been helpful when Theo died, and there were several cats up for adoption on their site that I wanted to "meet". The big question wasn't whether I'd come home with one, it was how many I'd come home with. I was leaning towards adopting a pair. Well, while I went last weekend, and was totally blown away in a good way by my whole experience there. The folks at The Humane Society are awesome, and really love the animals in their care!

So, here I was being introduced to various pairs of charming cats, when the cat now known as Tigger caught my eye. I asked if they could take him out of his cage (which, by the way, was huge, with room enough for a full-sized cat bed, and then some), and he proceeded to purr, rub up against me, and lick my fingers. I was in love, but my only concern was that he was only 5 1/2 months old, and would be all by himself while I was at work all day. It must've been fate, because that's when someone mentioned that he had made a buddy at the shelter. My eyes lit up and I said "He has a buddy??? Can you let him out, too???" And that's when I met the cat now known as Gateway. Watching them play together, I knew they would both be coming home with me, and come home with me they did. It's been just over a week now, and they've settled in quite nicely!

Get a Free YOYO Lip Gloss!

YOYO Lip Gloss is giving away lip gloss!

They make cool lip gloss for girls, but what I found most interesting about them was their company goal:

Company Goal - "To Give Back to the World." What are we going to do with all of our money? Let's give it away! As a corporation, it is our duty to serve our world and community and help others. Peppermints Salon will establish the YOYO Foundation, which will be dedicated to helping children and families all over the world.

They're offering a free lip gloss to anyone who blogs about them. Find out more here.

Free Olive Oil Sample

Bedmo Vegetables is launching a new "At Your Door" service, for consumers to test gourmet food products at no cost!

Their first offer - Sabatino Tartufi Black Truffle Gourmet Olive Oil

http://www.bedmo.com/atyourdoor.php

Pillsbury Giveaway

Pillsbury Home is Calling™ Gift Basket giveaway

Julie's Journal is giving away three of these, and there are numerous ways to earn entries. You can Twitter, StumbleUpon it, blog about it, etc.

They're really cool, too!

RIP Theo

A bit of sad news...

Theo died Wednesday night of an as-yet-undiagnosed liver disease. He died peacefully at home while I was asleep, and did not appear to be in any pain. I was fortunate to have him in my life for the short time he lived here, and I'm glad I was able to give him a loving forever home for the last 2 1/2 years of his 10 1/2 year life.

He will be missed.

EmailOurMilitary's Holiday Love Project

I'm reposting this because the project is now underway. This is really easy to do, and a great way to show support for our troops!

clipped from www.emailourmilitary.com Each year we send holiday cards to our troops for Christmas and Hanukah. This year's project will start October 15th and end December 11th to ensure that all cards and letters can be shipped to meet the holiday deadlines. Mail your holiday cards for our troops to us and we’ll ship them to our military in time for the holidays! As we get closer to the date we'll include a detailed Holiday Love flyer here.

More on Scott Shields - New Lawsuit Filed

Dogged 9/11 Scam Pursuit - NY Post

Apparently, it's not over yet. According to this article in the NY Post, a lawsuit has been filed against Scott Shields by the US Attorney's Office for more than $35,000 in relief funds that he fraudulently obtained from FEMA.

Funny how the day after this story came out, Scott sent out a mass e-mail about his innocence, which included the following quote:

"The most amazing part was that people were so easily fooled (including the press) because they received the 'news' over the internet. It is a lesson for our times."

Apparently, Scott believes that people are too stupid and gullible to do their own research and are easily fooled. Yet, we should believe him, the tales of his heroics posted on his website, the e-mails he sends out over the internet, and help support the work of his "foundation", because he says so???

I hate to break it to him, but it's not as if people (including some very intelligent ones, like Jane Goodall) are blindly believing stories they've been spoon-fed by the masterminds of some bizarre conspiracy plot. Court documents can be somewhat easily researched and independently verified. Most of these people did not make the decision to stop believing Scott's stories overnight. If anything, they were too trusting when it came to believing in Scott and his "mission". When they believed in him and supported him without question, they were noble and generous. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, and they're starting to question him, they're gullible and believe everything they read on the internet. Go figure.

9/11 Self-Proclaimed Hero Sentencing

clipped from landofpuregold.wordpress.com Self-Proclaimed 9/11 Hero Scott Shields Sentenced Scott will appear before US District Judge Robert Sweet in courtroom 18c (United States Courthouse: 500 Pearl St., Room 1920, New York, NY 10007) on Tuesday, September 14, 2008. My disability keeps me homebound much of the time so I’d love to hear from anyone who believes they may be in the courtroom for this long-awaited event. The sentencing recommendations, however, have already been made (and most likely agreed upon). I have reproduced the 17 page (pdf) finding which folks can see by clicking here. Essentially, Scott Shields was sentenced to 8 months in prison, then 3 years supervised release, and is required to make restitution of all the money plus an additional $300, as well as submit to mental health counseling. His sister Patty was sentenced to 12 months and one day, plus all that noted for Scott.

She's Bringing Bovine Back...

This is just so wrong, on so many levels, that I just couldn't resist:

Bottle of booze - $5
Fake udders - $19.99
Having your "Happy Cow"-faced mugshot spread like wildfire over the internet - Priceless

clipped from www.local12.com Slideshow Michelle Allen A Middletown woman is arrested, after chasing children, urinating on a porch, and blocking traffic... all while wearing a cow suit.   Police say 32 year old Michelle Allen was chasing children in the 3100 block of Wilbraham, while wearing the cow costume early Monday evening.  Allen also reported urinated on a neighbor's front porch. An officer told Allen to go home and stay there for the remainder of the evening. Police were later called to North Verity Avenue, where Allen was allegedly blocking traffic.  The arresting officer says Allen smelled of alcohol, slurred her speech, and was belligerent.  She also alleged cussed at the officer.  Allen is charged with disorderly conduct.

Click to Give Free Mammograms

If they reach 10 million clicks in September, their sponsor will fund an additional 100 mammograms.

clipped from www.thebreastcancersite.com

eMailOurMilitary.com's Holiday Love Project

This is a great way to show support for the troops during the holiday season! It's easy to do, too!

clipped from www.emailourmilitary.com Each year we send holiday cards to our troops for Christmas and Hanukah. This year's project will start October 15th and end December 11th to ensure that all cards and letters can be shipped to meet the holiday deadlines. Mail your holiday cards for our troops to us and we’ll ship them to our military in time for the holidays! As we get closer to the date we'll include a detailed Holiday Love flyer here.

Help Me Support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Why am I walking?

Today, there is more hope than ever for people facing breast cancer. However, there is much work to be done to find promising new treatments, increase awareness about the importance of mammograms, help all women get access to screenings and care, and connect those impacted by the disease with the information, day-to-day help, and emotional support they need to wage their battle against breast cancer.

I believe that hope for a world without breast cancer starts with me. That’s why I'm walking in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Not only is this my opportunity to join my community to fight back against breast cancer, it is a way to inspire hope by raising funds and awareness to help those facing the disease and save more lives.
And you can be a part of it, too.

I have signed up to walk and hope you will join me in my effort by signing up to join my team or making a donation in support of my participation. Hope starts with us.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - 2008-2009

Do NOT Order Checks from These People!

clipped from www.colorfulimages.com

I ordered new checks from this company, and received them today. Not only did they have a completely different routing number, and incorrect account number, but when I called to request a corrected set be sent, they refused.

They tried to tell me that bank routing numbers change (I looked up the one on my checks - not my bank). They also told me that I entered the wrong account number (hardly likely, since I've had this account for over 10 years, and I checked and double-checked before hitting the submit order button).

They offered to put in a new order, and waive the shipping & handling fee. These checks were already charged to my credit card, so the only person who is out any money is me. Do not order from them.

clipped from www.thepetitionsite.com Keep Dangerous Chemicals Out of Everyday Products Target: U.S. Congress Sponsored by: Consumers Union Potentially harmful chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is in the blood of 93 percent of Americans aged 6 and older and enters infants through baby bottles. Studies have shown that BPA -- which is used to make plastics such as hard, clear plastic baby bottles -- may lead to breast and prostate cancer, obesity, reproductive system abnormalities and, in infants, developmental problems.

Now this explains everything...

more cat pictures

A Humorous Look at eBay's Feedback Policy

YouTube - ebay 96 Negatives turn Positive!!!!!
Warning - contains language not suitable for children or some office environments.

This guy is hilarious! He's created a series of YouTube videos about the new eBay feedback policy changes, and their results.

Something Neat for Summertime Feet

clipped from astore.amazon.com Artemis Woman Heel Smoother Pedicure Appliance From Artemis Woman

This is a great little pedicure tool for summertime feet! I bought one of these in my local Walgreen's yesterday, and was amazed at how smooth it left my heels!

Since my bout with cellulitis last year, I have to be particularly attentive to the skin on my heels, and this thing does the trick! Unlike the Ped Egg, it doesn't nick the skin occasionally, and it really does remove hardened skin quickly and painlessly.

I'm also testing out a new add-in for Firefox, called clipmarks. I'm still getting a feel for it, but it looks pretty cool.

Seen at Big Lots

(Click to view full-size)

Now this is a lawsuit waiting to happen! It's the "JR. Skateboard" for "summer fun". A not-so-fun summer trip to the ER is more like it.

Notice the warning on the skateboard. Yes, that's right, it says - "Choking hazard"! Forget the obvious, "You can fall and crack your skull with this!" No, they want to make sure parents don't let their small children try to swallow a skateboard!

Have you ever been eating your skateboard, and then got it stuck in your throat? Man, I hate when that happens!



(Click to view full-size)
It's the "new arrival", TRANSFORMABLEANIMAL!!! Try to say that ten times fast! Heck, I couldn't even say it once!

Not to be confused with the...

SuperBody Hero!

Firefox Download Day 2008 - Help Set a World Record!

Today is Firefox Download Day 2008, to mark the release of Firefox 3.0. The folks at Firefox are aiming to set a download record in the Guinness Book.

All you have to do to help them set the record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours is click the graphic above and download Firefox 3 now by 17:00 UTC on June 18, 2008. That's Wednesday 6/18 at: 1:00 pm in New York and Toronto, 12:00 pm in Chicago, 11:00 am in Denver, and 10:00 am in Los Angeles.

Firefox 3 has exciting new features, including one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance. It includes phishing and malware protection, plus instant site ID info.

Get Free Flavored Splenda Samples!

Get a free sample of flavored Splenda!

While supplies last, get a free sample that includes two (2) SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener flavors For Coffee packets. Each packet contains enough sweetness and flavor for one cup of coffee. Available in French Vanilla.

Get one while supplies last!

More on the New eBay Feedback Policy Saga

Here are a few articles about the new eBay Feedback policy changes:

Information Week article - "EBay Feedback Cutoff Kicking In, Sellers Angry"
CNN Money article - "Ebay Feedback Cutoff Kicks In Monday"
Seeking Alpha - "eBay Showing Sellers the Door?"
BBC News Business - "eBay to Ban Negative Seller Views"

To see more articles try this Google search.

Sign the petition to end the new eBay Feedback policy here

For links to other online auction sites, click here.

eBay's New Feedback Policy - BAD IDEA!!!

You have to wonder what moron thought this one up:

Feedback Changes Going Into Effect

Some highlights:

• "Sellers may only leave positive feedback for buyers"

This is probably the most troubling one for sellers - in other words, if a buyer bids on an item and never pays, the seller cannot leave negative or neutral feedback for the buyer. On the other hand, buyers are free to leave whatever feedback they want, be it positive, negative or neutral. Since only positive feedback can be left for buyers, all buyers will have feedback ratings of 100%, and there will be no way to tell the good buyers from the problem buyers. Sellers need protection from bad buyers as much as buyers need protection from bad sellers.

• "After much consideration, we've made the decision to remove the Mutual Feedback Withdrawal process. The reason is that – under the new rules - it opens sellers up to extortion. As part of this decision, Mutual Agreement from third-party Feedback mediation services, such as SquareTrade, will also no longer be accepted."

So again, the seller has no real recourse against unfair negative feedback. It also leaves the seller open to being victims of feedback extortion by buyers who threaten to leave negative feedback if the seller doesn't give them anything they want. Buyers can now make demands of sellers under threat of negative feedback.

• Neutral feedbacks are now being counted as negatives in the feedback rating percentage calculations, which only include the last 12 months. Sellers who once had a 100% rating, are now finding their ratings dropping because they received a neutral feedback in the last 12 months. It might be just me, but I thought a neutral was just that, neutral, and did not count as either a postive or a negative.

Part of the really stupid part of all this is that it is the sellers who pour money into eBay, through their eBay Stores fees, listing fees, final value fees, etc. Buyers do not pay these fees. Many Power Sellers are getting angry enough to leave, and head over to sites like iOffer.com, which only charges a fee if you actually sell an item, eCrater.com, and BidVille. Does eBay not realize that sellers leaving for other sites = less revenue from seller fees? Can you say "DUHHHH!!!"???

I have been a member of eBay since 1998, and have been both a buyer and a seller. I cannot see how the new policies help anyone - not the good, honest buyers, or the good, honest sellers. There is a petition that has been started to protest the feedback policy changes. You can sign it here.

Walk Now For Autism NYC 2008

I will be participating in Walk Now for Autism in New York City on Sunday, June 22nd to help find a cure for autism.
As some of you know, my nephew Jonathan is at the mild-to-moderate end of the autistic spectrum.

Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my efforts to help fund essential research. I will be walking in NYC in June, and would like you to support those affected by autism.

You can donate to Walk Now for Autism through my webpage at http://www.walknowforautism.org/newyorkcity/personal/carol2008

Any amount will help. Even a dollar goes a long way. If you are unable to make a donation (a situation I truly understand), your moral support as I prepare for the walk would be greatly appreciated.

It would be really great if you would take just 5 minutes to educate yourself about what autism is, and what it isn't.

Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page.

Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.

Please join me in supporting Walk Now for Autism. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today.

Get FREE Dunkin Donuts Coffee!

Get a free iced coffee from participating Dunkin' Donuts on Thursday, May 13th between 10am-10pm. Click here for more info.

You can also click on the graphic below to get a free sample of Dunkin' Donuts Original coffee.

iGive.com's Surfathon for a Good Cause

iGive.com is having a Surfathon through July of 2008.

How it works is simple:

Just visit up to 10 different stores each day through iGive.com - no purchase necessary. Each month, we'll award $1,000 each to 5 winning causes, plus additional prizes from each month's sponsoring merchant.

• Visit up to 10 different stores through iGive.com every day, and each of those visits counts as an entry in this sweepstakes.
• Let's say you visit 10 different stores today, and 9 of your friends each visit 10 stores too - that's 100 entries for your cause in just one day!
• Keep it up by visiting different stores through iGive.com, every day for the rest of the month.

You can click on this link or go to http://tinyurl.com/468ln2 to join. Once you've joined, you can either help support my cause, which is Autism Speaks, or choose your own cause to support.

It's World Autism Awareness Day

Autism Speaks has planned a series of events to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, 2008.

For more information, visit http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org

Hop to the Rescue - Help Feed Rescued Bunnies

Hop to the Rescue - Help Feed Rescued Bunnies

Feed a Rescued Bunny with Your Animal Rescue Site Order!

This Easter, help provide a brighter future for a rescued rabbit. Starting on March 21, 2008, and for a limited time, every completed Animal Rescue Site order will feed a rescued rabbit complete and balanced meals for one day -- at no additional cost to you!

Every spring in the U.S., thousands of bunnies are purchased as pets for children. However, many children eventually lose interest once the rabbit grows into adolescence -- including natural behaviors such as chewing, spraying, or digging -- and many rabbits are destined to be abandoned on the side of a road. The Rabbit Sanctuary, Inc. exists to rescue and care for these rabbits, as well as ones rescued from laboratories and commercial breeders.

Walking, Walking and More Walking

As part of my Weight Watchers efforts, I've been walking a mile to a mile and a half 3-4 days a week, sometimes more.

So, I've decided to put all this walking to good use. Normally, I would be walking in MS Walk NY in the spring. However, this year, it's scheduled for the same weekend as the "Being Fearless" conference that I normally volunteer at. So, I won't be able to walk in it this year.

However, I've found a few other walks that should keep me busy this spring:

The 2008 Parkinson's Unity Walk - This is scheduled for Saturday, April 26th. It's a two-mile walk to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease and funds for research.

AIDS Walk New York - Scheduled for Sunday, May 18th. It's a 10K (6.2 mile) walk benefiting GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis).

Walk Now for Autism - Scheduled for Sunday, June 22nd. It's a two-mile walk that helps generate vital funds for autism research, and also raises awareness about the increasing prevalence of autism and the need for increased research funding.

Your support, financial, moral or otherwise is, as always, greatly appreciated.

I've Reached a Milestone

As of this past Thursday, it's official. I've lost 20 pounds!

I even got a postcard from Weight Watchers in the mail yesterday, congratulating me on the 20 pound loss. I thought that was a nice touch. It's now on my refrigerator, so I can see it every day and remind myself of how far I've come.

It's not just about the weight loss. It's about how far I've come in terms of my eating habits and how I feel about myself and my body. Huge differences in both (pun intended). The most important for me are the changes in how I feel about myself and my body. While some of that is connected with the weight loss (I'd be lying if I said it wasn't), at least an equal amount is a result of taking care of, and using my body.

I'm now going out and walking anywhere between a mile to a mile and a half, at least 4 times a week. That's in addition to whatever walking I would normally do throughout the course of my normal day. When I was in my 20's, I used to walk all over Manhattan. I would walk from West 59th Street and 9th Avenue all the way to East 51st Street and 2nd Avenue a few times a week without thinking twice about it. I would take the subway in to Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street and walk up Fifth Avenue to the Central Park Zoo, and I would love every minute of the walk. I used to go out dancing every week. Somewhere along the way, I forgot about how much I enjoyed all of it, and got quite lazy. Walking anywhere became a chore, and I didn't go out dancing anymore. It wasn't because of any physical limitations, either. It was entirely mental. It was almost as if I reached a certain age and all of a sudden, I stopped walking everywhere and dancing on a regular basis. (Kind of like when people reach a certain age and suddenly start spending an awful lot of time watching The Weather Channel, also known as "MTV for Old People".)

Fortunately, as I've discovered, this condition is reversible. I'm now thoroughly enjoying my walks, and have even been doing a bit of dancing lately. My next project is to find a good dance class. Not sure what type of dance I want to learn. Could be country line dancing, swing, tap or if I'm really feeling daring, Hip-Hop.

I'll keep you posted.