The Clone Blog

What do you do when, for TWO WHOLE MONTHS, you have to deal with a ton of personal issues, including a car in need of more than a thousand dollars worth of repair, a broken vacuum cleaner with a warranty (but the nearest fix-it place is 50 miles away), a broken refrigerator (cost me several hundred dollars), a broken computer (would cost the price of a new computer to fix), no Internet connection (so even with a working computer, what difference would it make), seven blogs that cry for your attention, a memory that fails every now and then to remind you to take your cancer drugs and your asthma medicine, AND you take care of children all day long?

Well, I can't answer for you, but for me, I've decided to clone my blogs – at least this once.

Yessiree. If you go to any of my blogs (all of which are listed at the end of this blog), you will find that on this day, December 6, 2010, every single one of my blogs will say exactly the same thing as does this blog – assuming I don't get interrupted while I'm posting everywhere, that is.

So, without further ado (I don't think I've ever used that word before), here are a couple of (shortened versions of) blogs I would have written if I could have found the time and a working Internet connection:

MY HAIR

When my hair began to grow after chemo destroyed it, I noticed about a thousand cowlicks EVERYWHERE. In other words, I continue to look as if I am permanently affixed to an invisible electrical socket.

My youngest daughter and I were sitting in the cafeteria at Barnes and Noble (one of my favorite places to visit) when I spotted two women, who at first appeared to be reflections of me in the windows and whose hair looked as ugly as mine did. Of course mine was hiding beneath Avon's Breast Cancer cap, so nobody could tell how truly ugly it was.

In complaining to my daughter about how horrible I felt, because every time I looked in the mirror I saw a frightening apparition, I decided to illustrate my sense of horror by pointing out the two women to her.

"See those two women sitting by the window with their short, ugly, no-style hair?" I asked my daughter. She discreetly turned around.

"That's how I feel," I continued.

"You feel gay?" she asked.

OK, before you get all uppity, know this: several people I know are gay, and one of my best friends is gay – I think HE would get a laugh out of my daughter's comment.

MY FASHION SENSE

Everybody knows I have none – fashion sense, that is. I even wrote about my lack of fashion sense in my Weekend of Fashion blog, which I invite you to read by clicking the link.

Never had my lack of fashion sense been more apparent, though, than the year Jim Riordan shot his movie, Maddance, and one of his actors needed an outfit for a character she considered to be "trailer trashy."

Oh, what to wear, what to wear? Her eyes settled on me. I was wearing a broom skirt with a button down sleeveless top and a pair of sandals.

"That outfit, the one you're wearing. That would be perfect."

The #@%$&! What irks me even more is that I actually GAVE her my outfit!

WHEN TEMPERS FLARE

Yes, I'll admit it. I have a temper. Some people might be surprised to learn that I do because I usually hide it, though not always very well. You can tell when I'm upset, though, because I sulk or become an absolute witch.

Seething with sarcasm, my eyes squint into slivers of hatred. I become a cartoon character of myself, and I really don't like ME when I act that way (though, believe me, I have plenty of reasons to be "witchy" sometimes). In spite of those reasons, I really TRY to be mature (at my age, you would think that would come naturally by now).

Sadly I can't always help myself, so I'd kind of like other people to step forward and slap my mind with things like, "Do you realize you're acting like a temper-tantrum-throwing child?" or  (sarcastically) "Yeah, it's all about you!" or (even more sarcastically) "Nobody else ever in the history of life itself has ever had as many problems as you do. You deserve the status of martyr. Give me the phone. I must call the Pope!"

When I act like the Wicked Witch of the West I don't understand why people don't just throw a house on me. Maybe my toes curling beneath the pressure of a house smashing me into the ground would be the catalyst for change and I would respond differently. I could smile and say chirpy little comments, like, "My car needs over a thousand dollars worth of repair – the Universe must be trying to tell me something." ("You're getting too old to drive, Nimwit!"), and, "My computer is so broken, it will cost me the price of a new computer to fix it, so the Universe must be trying to tell me something." ("You're the one who wanted to be a writer – maybe you should rethink you're 'ideal job'.")

Or, and this is just a thought, maybe people should start being more responsible for OTHER people, especially those – like me – who need…what? What do I need – a heavy dose of reality? No, thank you. I think I've had  plenty of that…a reminder that lots of people have it worse than I do? No, that won't work. Oh, how about ________ (fill in the blank – I'm trying out a new type of blog – interactive – how's that working for me)?

Oh, you know what? Just throw a house on me!

Hmm, you don't like my remedy for witchiness? Be gone! Before somebody throws a house on you!

COMCAST

Comcast is on my hits (rearrange the letters) list. For the past three years since I moved into my home I have had intermittent problems with my Internet connection, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I call them and they send a tech, without fail, the technician who arrives at my home to FIX (choke choke) the problem tells me that the guy who came before him didn't know what he was doing.

I repeat – EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So, does that mean that for the past 3 years, every technician Comcast has sent to my home has been incompetent, or does Comcast hire egocentric techs with superiority complexes who believe that nobody but them knows how to properly connect a computer to the Internet?

Whatever. My Internet connection is in Illinois while I am in Virginia enjoying, in addition to attending to the needs of my grandchildren, a reliable Internet connection. Could the fact that I'm in Quantico, hub of the FBI and other government agencies, have anything to do with that, I wonder?

Despite the vacuum cleaner/computer/Internet/car/refrigerator problems I have been deftly dealing with over the past several months, I have managed to get a couple of articles and blogs written, the most recent of which is Paranormal Gifts for Your Paranormal Loved One.

In my Help For Single Parents blog, my most recent postings are:
PREVENT BULLYING
Applauding Accomplishments
Single Parent Resources

The three recent posts that appear in my Paranormal Minds blog are:
Why Does the Tarot Scare People?
Interviewing the Dead
I Have a Confession to Make

My Heart Blogs To You includes the following recent posts:
What Happened This Halloween
T-Ball With Kaden
Why I Have No Time To Write
Jeremy – Another Writer In My Family

Your Weird Dreams could appear in this blog along with these dreams:
The Bobby and The Dead Guy In The Trunk
Violent Murder In A Dream
Dream of Former Workplace

Writer of Blogs includes only one recent post:
How Embarrassment Became a Kindle

Your Blog Connection is currently disconnected due to the fact that I have not interviewed anybody recently for that blog.
But just because I had no time to devote to this blog, doesn't mean you can't check it out ;) Also, if you want YOUR blog covered, let me know.

My Wordpress Blog
Nothing new here, either, but feel free to visit for links to my other blogs and articles that automatically post here.

My most recent Associated Content Articles include the following:
A Halloween Paranormal Nightmare While Awake
I Wish Somebody Would Do Something About That!
The Perfect Gift for People Who Have Everything

My most recent Xomba Articles include:
A Halloween Paranormal Nightmare While Awake: Halloween Voices Won't Let You Sleep
Interview With Dead Rock Star Jim Morrison of the Doors
Learning the Mysteries of The Tarot
Paranormal Gifts for Your Paranormal Loved One

Hopefully by 2011, everything will be less stressful and I'll be writing more. The only way I can see that happening, though, is to find my own planet. But then I'd have to consider the costs to get there and...

In the meantime, thank you for reading this blog and clicking on the links.

Check Out This "Writing for AC" Blog

Pamela Gifford began writing her blog, Writing For AC, before she "even really knew what (she) was doing on AC." Admitting that she was merely "squeaking by on page views," Pamela had "no clue what SEO was, and was tickled pink if (she) got 100 page views in a day." In Writing For AC, Pamela chronicles her journey from that of an unknown contributor to that of a Featured Contributor (in the Arts & Entertainment category).

Although she is "not afraid to put (herself) out there" and admits to screwing up now and then, she also provides "information on other content writing sites and basics on content writing in general."

Pamela began her blog, Writing For AC in May 2009, which she initially used to promote her work on Associated Content. As she kept writing it, though, "it turned into a tutorial, a question/answer, and much more."

Who would most likely read her blog? "AC contributors (new or experienced) or anyone who is thinking about signing up for AC."

Pamela provides tips and advice, not only from herself, but also from other contributors, giving readers more opportunities to find the answers they seek. And she wants readers to know that she gives an honest assessment of what they can hope to gain from writing for Associated Content. "The benefit," as Pamela says, "is a truthful sharing of information."

For a featured writer's perspective on Associated Content, visit Writing For AC by Pamela Gifford. And if you would like to read Pamela Gifford's Associated Content Articles, click any of the links under her name.


As an aside, I enjoy writing for Associated Content too. For anyone interested in writing, it's a great place to earn money for your writing.

Every Day Crochet

Other than spending time with family and friends, two things I enjoy most are writing and crocheting, so I'm always looking at patterns for ideas about how to create my next project.

When I came upon Every Day Crochet, my eyes lit up. I no longer have to conduct my own finds, because Marie Anne St. Jean does all the work for me!

Does that mean I'm lazy? Possibly, but when you find somebody whose blog is dedicated to crochet and only crochet, why go anywhere else? Also she provides links to various crochet sites, so I now rely on Every Day Crochet for my ideas.

Marie Anne (pronounced Mary Ann) started Every Day Crochet in October 2008. She saw others blogging and decided to try it herself. I'm glad she did, because one of her newest blogs has given me an idea for my upcoming crochet project – a Stained Glass pattern (you can see it by clicking the link).

Most of her readers are those who "share the craft of crochet," but others might want to check out her Wednesday blog, because on Wednesday, Marie Anne St. Jean shares something she calls "WIP Wednesday" (Work In Progress), where she showcases her current projects on Every Day Crochet.

She also encourages others to link their blogs to hers so readers can see what everybody else is working on. And she doesn't limit the links to just crochet projects: "Everyone is welcome to share a project they're working on, be it a craft, DIY, renovation, landscaping, etc."

Marie Anne further states, "I keep the linky tool 'live' for a full week until the next WIP Wednesday rolls around, so it doesn't matter what day you blog about it, you can still link to mine. I find it a great way to find new and interesting blogs to follow and people to visit."

The patterns Marie Anne creates are beautiful, but, according to Marie Anne, they are not magical. "Those who don't crochet think I'm doing something magical, when in fact nothing I crochet is very fancy. I can teach anyone to do the simple things I do (and I have)."

Her comment reminds me of the time I saw my grandmother crocheting intricate doilies when I was a child. Because I was so interested in learning how to crochet, I asked her to teach me how to crochet. I was an attentive student, because I really wanted to learn the art of crochet.

Years later, when I provided daycare, a couple of the older girls (around the age of 10) wanted to learn how to crochet. I taught those little girls how to crochet, and now one of my daughters wants me to teach her how to crochet. Once you learn the various stitches (not many), you can create crocheted items on your own. Like Marie Anne, mine are simple (scarves and afghans).

Marie Anne adds, "Those who crochet might pick up a tip or two that I've shared, and those who don't crochet have a chance to see just how easy it can be to create simple projects. I'd like to think I've inspired some to either pick up a crochet hook again, or endeavor to learn the craft. I've got a few stitches and simple patterns that I enjoy, and those are either listed on my blog, or there are links to where they are listed."

If you enjoy crocheting, or if you just want to be inspired by the patterns and information Marie Anne supplies on Every Day Crochet, click any of the Every Day Crochet links in this blog.

Your Home On A Budget

Where can you find money-saving advice and share free offers with others?

Your Home On A Budget!

This new blog was begun only within the past month and already it is filled with LOTS OF FREE STUFF you'll want to check out.

Jenny Wagner started her blog because she was "looking for a way to share money-saving advice and free offers with others." She thought "a blog was the best way to do just that. "

Jenny brings more than 20 years of experience from the home improvement industry "and a lifetime of learning how to live on a budget…"

In addition to providing links to free items, Jenny provides tips on upgrading and decorating your home "on a budget."

By joining the community at Your Home On A Budget, you can look forward to daily updates on new free items for everything from Starbucks Coffee to Breathe Right Nasal Strips.

As Your Home On A Budget states, "Your Home On A Budget provides money-saving ideas for everyday life. Affordable home improvement ideas, decorating tips, sweepstakes, freebies, coupons and coupon codes, and many other budget-friendly suggestions and ideas."

Visit Your Home On A Budget by clicking any of the links in this blog.

And if you would like to read Jenny's articles on Associated Content, click anywhere you see Jenny Wagner's name.

It's A Tidal Wave – I Mean a BlogTide

How often have you heard the term, back linking? If you write a blog and you want people to read your blog, you know the importance of back linking. And if you don't know it yet, you will eventually learn that you have to have it in order to succeed in the blogging world.

According to wikipedia.org, "Search engines often use the number of back links that a website has as one of the most important factors for determining that website's search engine ranking, popularity and importance. Google's description of their PageRank system, for instance, notes that Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B."

So how can you improve your back links? By joining BlogTide.

Started only about three weeks ago to give bloggers an opportunity to share blogs via hundreds of social bookmarking services available, BlogTide takes back linking to the next level.

It's really quite simple: Back links help authors, and BlogTide provides back links.

ANYBODY can join. Anybody, that is, except Spammers. Absolutely, unequivocally NO SPAMMING ALLOWED! And NO SCAMMING ALLOWED!  The creator of BlogTide is very protective of BlogTide members.

As a matter of fact, BlogTide's creator cares so much about the privacy of BlogTide members, he recommends setting your privacy at "Friends only viewing."

If you're looking for what BlogTide's creator defines as, "friendly social networking,"  and you want to increase your back links, you'll want to check out BlogTide by clicking any of the links in this blog.


If you would like Your Blog Connection to showcase your blog, please contact me through one of my other blogs, Your Weird Dreams at: weirddreams@mail.com

Happy Blogging! And Happy Back Linking!

Parent Successfully

Parenting is a tough job. Ask any parent. When Hillary Rodham Clinton repeated the old African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child," she wasn't kidding. Parents need all the help they can get.

And one of the places that offers a plethora of information to help parents raise their children successfully is a web site entitled, Parent Successfully. Parent Successfully offers parents more than just one blog too. As a matter of fact, it offers FOURTEEN blogs.

Begun in November 2009 by the mother-daughter team of Lyn Lomasi and Jaipi Sixbear, Parent Successfully offers parents links to important articles written by Lomasi and Sixbear and numerous other writers who share tips and information on raising children successfully.

Maintained by Lomasi, Sixbear, and two of Lomasi's daughters, Parent Successfully was created when Lyn and Jaipi looked for a place to share advice and tips with other parents. Realizing that "no one person knows every single thing about parenting," and that no other web site offered a "one-size-fits-all approach to everything," they decided to create their own.

According to Lyn, "When parents come together and share their different methods, it can make many things run smoother. Doing so gives people ideas they may not have thought of otherwise."

Who is most likely to read their blogs? "Parents, parents-to-be, and educators," among others.

Kids, too, will enjoy Parent Successfully, because Lyn's 11-year old daughter writes one of the blogs. Parent Successfully often posts links to web sites aimed at children and they offer activities for kids as well.

Along with the blog posts and article links about a variety of issues related to parenting, Parent Successfully provides "forums for more in-depth discussion."

Chances are, if you're looking for information related to raising children successfully, you'll find whatever you need at Parent Successfully.

(Click any of the links to take you to their blog. From there you can visit other areas of the site.)

Article Writer For Hire – Lyn Lomasi & Jaipi Sixbear

 Article Writer for Hire is one of the most helpful and user-friendly online web sites dedicated to helping fellow writers that I have found.

Begun by the eco-friendly mother-daughter team of Lyn Lomasi and Jaipi Sixbear in May of 2008 (the blog began in January of 2009), Article Writer for Hire is one of the most comprehensive informative writing sites around. And the Lomasi-Sixbear writing team is very accessible. You won't find a better informed team willing to help fellow writers than the two of them.


Want to make money from your blog? Visit Article Writer for Hire. From SEO information to how to maximize your earning potential as a writer, Article Writer for Hire helps writers learn about how to make a living as an article writer.

Everybody begins a blog or a web site for a reason and I asked Lyn why she started hers. "Fellow writers, as well as clients, are constantly asking me questions, so I thought this would be a good way to share tips and updates."

Who is most likely to read her blog and/or web site?

In Lyn's own words: "I would say the majority of my readers are writers from Associated Content and other writing sites."

How can you benefit from reading what Lyn Lomasi and Jaipi Sixbear have to say?

According to Lyn, "I am constantly sharing advice on how to succeed as a freelance writer, especially on Associated Content. Anyone who is writing for pay or to optimize their own website can learn from my posts. Each time I learn something new, I like to share it with others doing the same thing."

Lyn is committed to satisfying her readers and always takes suggestions and questions at Ask Lyn. Her mom answers questions at Ask Jaipi.

If you are a writer, you will be doing yourself a huge favor by enlisting the help of Article Writer for Hire created by the mother-daughter team of Lyn Lomasi and Jaipi Sixbear.

(As an aside, if any of you would like to join Associated Content, a site I highly recommend because it allows you to make money from writing and you can set your own schedule, I placed my link to get you started. Just click on Associated Content. And if you would like to read Associated Content articles written by Lyn Lomasi, please click her name. Please do the same for Jaipi Sixbear. Both of them are fellow Associated Content writers.)

My thanks to Lyn Lomasi for allowing me to interview her and to promote something I KNOW will help writers who are serious about writing. If I haven't linked it enough, please visit Article Writer for Hire for information on how to write better, get paid for writing, and learn more about the craft of writing.

And for those of you who have thought about writing but who claim you don't know what you would write, please check out this link from Amazon.com. If you have a passion for writing, write, and ask Lyn and her mother, Jaipi, for advice.

Showcasing ROI Analytics & The Success of YOUR Business

As an article and blog writer, I'm always interested in knowing the marketing analytics of promoting my work. Blogs and articles are my "business" and the goal is to get as many people as possible to read my work, which will hopefully increase my chances of making money.

Who reads my work? Are Twitter and Facebook the only promotional tools I can use to promote my writings? Are my marketing efforts paying off?

Anybody interested in marketing their product, their business, or their web site wants to know what their ROI (return on investment) is. You put a lot of work into creating and marketing your business, but is your marketing program working for you? Do the strategies you have incorporated into your marketing analytics result in profits?

ROI Analytics provides concrete measurable statistical information for businesses that provide RFQs (requests for quotes). ROI Analytics is designed to guide you in making intelligent marketing analytics decisions, and they help you discover the effectiveness of your advertising campaign by demonstrating, through graphs and other marketing analytics, ways to improve your advertising campaign.

If you offer a product that includes requests from potential customers, this marketing analytics tool can help you locate which keywords are working for you, who your potential customers are, and what changes you should probably make to improve your changes of competing in the world of marketing.

And the really nice part of ROI Analytics is that they are free. Check them out by clicking on any of the links in this blog. They offer so much more than I can cover in a blog.

Divorce Help and a Writing Mentor All in One Person

Donald Pennington is a, shall we say, unique individual. Just to give you an example of how unique, I display for your eyes, comments he made to the questions I asked him when I wanted to know a little bit about why he created his divorce blog. Here they are:

blah blah something something...

blah blah blah something something else...

He does have a great sense of humor, and he actually did respond with some useful comments, so for your blogging pleasure, I introduce to to Donald Pennington and his divorce blog.

About a year ago he came up with the idea of creating a divorce blog but didn't actually implement the blog until about five months ago. He wanted to help others who were going through a divorce because he wanted to make money.

OK, that's only part of the reason he wanted to write his divorce blog. He also wanted to help others who were going through the same thing he went through. And he wanted to offer a place where people could vent their frustrations and find healing.

The only annoying thing about Donald's blog is the popup ad that appears when you first visit the site. However, if you are interested in the ad, definitely click on the link. Otherwise, go to the upper right hand corner and click, "Skip this ad."

You'll have to get on him to update his blog. He is admittedly lazy. "I'm a greedy little throw away Dad who wants a lazy man's income from helping others going through a divorce."

He encourages other divorced writers to contribute content, so if you are a writer, or if you just want to vent, you can pitch your stories to him.

Donald's plans for the future? Opening a discussion forum, though how far into the future his plans will materialize is questionable. Remember, he is lazy.

Topics he covers, besides divorce support, is child support and single moms.

But Donald Pennington is not just about divorce. In addition to helping those hit with divorce, he also mentors writers at his web site, aptly entitled Welcome to DonPennington.info!

So click on his web site and his blog to meet the man who will help you through your divorce or with your writing.

Donald also writes articles for Associated Content. Find his articles HERE.