~Official Snail Mail Pals Blog~

2011-07-14T07:22:00.000-04:00

Sandbook PenPal Magazine, July 2011

Sandbook PenPal Magazine July 2011 is here! You can download it from the official SandbookNet Website! The issue includes articles, giveaways and contests, PenPal Interviews, PenPal of the Month June 2011 Vote, cultural events and more!

Some of the leading stories are:

Hope you will enjoy it!

Choose your pick Sandbook MEGA Giveaway!!!

2011-06-23T03:28:00.000-04:00

Deadline: July 10th, 2011

SandbookNet is making a MEGA Giveaway. All you have to do to register is simply follow the instructions on our website www.sandbook.net . Once you are on our website, simply leave a comment under the post or participate with blog entry about the contest (be sure to send us a comment with the address of your blog post about the giveaway), or tag us on a post on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sandbooknet or Twitter (http://twitter.com/sandbook or @sandbook). There are several ways that you can participate in the giveaway and each entry counts as a vote in your name.

Here is how you can win the mega stationery set; notebook and stamps! You can see the three awards that we are going to give to 3 lucky winners!

Pen Pal Interviews

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Visit www.SandBook.Net

Would you like to be interviewed and share your penpalling experience with over 2500 people world-wide? We would like to question you about your penpalling experience and get to know you a bit better! The interviews will be published in the penpal magazine and of course here on our website.

How to participate?

Copy the questions and answer them! Then select several photos of you, your friends or country and then send us all of the information back to us at raiasandbook(at)gmail.com (just change the (at) with @).

Interview Questions:

1. Hello there! How are you doing? Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

2. If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

3. Tell us something about your town, city or country.

4. How did you start penpalling? When was that? And why did you decide to start Penpalling?

5. What do you like / dislike about Penpalling/correspondence?

6. How do your friends react when they discover you are into Penpalling? Are they also into it or they give you the “strange” faces?

7. Do you still stay in touch with your first penpal? Tell us about your first penpal even if you have lost touch with them. We might be able to help you locate him/her.

8. How many Penpals do you have? Where are they from?

9. Are you searching for new Penpals? If yes, please give us some contact information that we can publish in the magazine so that people can write to you back.

10. What are you looking for in a penpal?

11. Where do you find new Penpals from? Do you rely on FBs or Facebook or other websites/blogs.
12. Tell us a funny/interesting story from your Penpalling experience?

13. How do you keep track of your mail? Share your tip on how to organize ourselves.

14. Do you swap things? Do you like sending gifts to friends? If yes, what is the funniest gift you have ever sent/received?
15. Have you met a penpal? If so, let us know how the meeting went.
16. What do you usually like writing/reading about in the letters?

17. When it comes to making cute and personal letters, everyone has his/her own style. Tell us your trick how to make a letter/envelope unique? Do you decorate it? If yes, how. Give us some tips on how to make the letters more interesting.
18. Where do you buy your stationery supplies from? Do you prefer traditional shops or e-shops? If so, give us some links.

Photos:
1) Send us a photo(s) of yourself so we can print it with the article and show that you are a real person! You can also include other photos of your friends and you, your mail and mailbox, etc. anything that you would like to share with us will be more than welcome!

2) Write us a message in your own handwriting (sample handwriting), decorate the message if you like and finally snap a photo of the handwriting/message sample and email it to us so we can print it on the magazine’s pages and of course on our website and blog.

Your contact information:
1) Your Email

2) Facebook user

3) Twitter

4) Blog/website, etc
5) Any other profile or way you want people to contact you.

Searching for Guest Writers!!!

2011-05-16T06:59:00.001-04:00

Searching for Guest Writers

Do you enjoy writing or blogging? Do you want to promote your own blog via guest blogs? Or you are searching for new friends and projects? We are searching for you! Sandbook Net offers you the chance to become part of our team - here at blogspot via guest blogs (or re-blogging your favorite entries) or in our penpal magazine or on our website. All you need to do is contact us at raiasandbook(at)gmail.com and from there on you need to continue what you do best - write and share with us everything about penpalling, swapping, your collections, giveaways that you have found. The options and topics are countless! Join us!

An update on us and the Nu Wave Oven

2011-03-12T00:32:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody,
Sorry for the long wait. Last year was a very hard year. I nearly lost my husband for the second time in December 2010 due to a heart attack. He is fine now and doing well. He is disabled due to his type 1 diabetes and end stage kidney disease. He is on a waiting list now for a new kidney and pancreas by the end of this year. That is the estimation for his surgery. We have been through a lot. God has blessed us very much with everything we have gone through. We are looking forward to having a great year.

I have been meaning to talk about this product. My hubby and I awhile back ordered something called a Nu Wave Oven. Of course now, they have just come out with a Super NuWave oven. This product is awesome! We have the older one still. We haven't ordered the new one yet. But either way, it is a terrific product. With my husband's very strict diet due to his disease, he has a kidney diet and a diabetic diet and they keep restricting it more and more. No fun. But, this cool Nu Wave Oven, makes it possible for us to cook in half the time it takes to cook using a regular stove and oven. It is an infared oven and you can bake, fry, it does everything in one. You can cook a whole chicken whether refrigerated or frozen, and just stick it in there for an hour. All you need to do is turn it over when the timer beeps for you to do so and then set it to go off again later on when it's done. It gets off more fat from meats than cooking over the stove or in the conventional oven better. You can even stick veggies in there with it to cook. It takes an hour for a whole chicken to cook and it comes out so juicy and moist. The veggies you can stick under and around the chicken. You have a rack in there and you stick the chicken on the rack. Under the rack, you stick the veggies and you can lay the veggies around the meat too. Anyway, you put whatever spices you want on there too and extra virgin olive oil. My hubby likes to put carrots in a baggy with the spices and olive oil and shake it up. (by the way-there is a dvd you get with the oven and there is a professional chef that actually does this. So, my hubby got the idea from the chef. Of course, when you use this oven you will feel like the best chef on earth, because food comes out great!) So, when you do that, you actually have a complete meal cooking at one time. It really is awesome. Since my hubby is disabled, this helps him to eat healthy and he doesn't have to stick around in the kitchen and baby sit the stove or anything. I use it too and I stick my frozen fish or Tyson chicken nuggets in there. It takes 5 minutes on each side for however many chicken nuggets I place on the rack and I don't even need ketchup for it to eat it, if I don't want it. It tastes better than even McDonald's chicken nuggets, but that's my own opinion. My frozen fish I like to cook, it takes that 7 minutes on each side, sometimes, I'll do 8 minutes on the other side. I like to be sure it's brown enough and that beats using a conventional oven when it takes about a half hour for me to use the conventional oven otherwise. You can cook fresh fish in there too and have home made fish instead of the frozen kind that is already cooked and processed. We cook more than that, but I am just giving some examples of some of our favorite dishes. It is also dish washer safe and very easy to clean. It takes up very little space in our kitchen. We just have it in a spot on one of our counter tops. It is one of the best investments we have ever made. We love our nuwaveoven and I totally recommend that people buy it. I am not getting paid for this, I am merely sharing our experiences with using this product and really believe everyone should have one. Just go to: http://www.nuwaveoven.com/ to order.

MIKA Magazine - the new Lifestyle Magazine!

2011-03-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

Sandbook.Net is proud to present to you our latest project - a lifestyle magazine made for and by you! Sounds like fun? MIKA magazine is a brand new electronic (digital) lifestyle magazine. The first issue of the magazine is going to be released on April 1, 2011 and will feature articles in several topics: Celebrity News and Events, Music and Movies, Fashion and Beauty, Style, Love, Party Time, Secrets and Health. Do you want to be a part of our team? Be an author with us and contact us at mikamagazine(at)gmail.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MIKAmagazine

Facebook User: www.facebook.com/MIKAmagazine

Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/MIKAmagazine
Blog: www.MIKALifestyleMagazine.blogspot.com
Email: MikaMagazine(at)gmail.com

PenPal Magazines and Booklets

2011-02-23T08:45:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

Have you heard about our penpal magazine? If not, here's your chance to catch up with all of the latest news, creative ideas and cultural events. Yes, you can find them on the pages of our magazines.

We hope you will enjoy it and that you will eventually join us with an article of your own.

Penpallers from around the world have joined our humble team and we are proud to present to you our PenPal and Swappers Magazines and Booklets. Here are the covers of the magazine and the booklets.

To download any of the issues or the booklets please visit www.sandbook.net .

Let us know what you want to see in the coming issues by leaving a comment here.

RiaCabral.COM: Take your Pick! - A giveaway.

2011-01-10T22:43:00.000-05:00

RiaCabral.COM: Take your Pick! - A giveaway.: "In just the last week or so I have had new visitors and followers, not to mention the wonderful incredibly..."

Christmas Cards...

2010-12-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

Greetings again friends! It's been a while since I last posted on here and I thought I would share something a bit crafty with you! Christmas is a time of giving and cheer and for me giving something from the heart is what it's all about. I adore making gifts and cards and although this year I sent my parents a beautiful store bought card (I really loved the image and message inside, they were perfect) the only other card I've decided to give out I crafted myself. Sadly, I didn't take a photo of the actual card before sealing the envelope so I will have to ask my dear friend to allow me to photograph once opened so that you can see what I'm about to describe.

For the card I took a plain blank card I bought at the dollar store and chose two pages from a magazine that would mean something to the recipient, in this case a scene from London, England and a beach scene. I traced around the card on both images I had chosen and cut them out, pasted them on either side and with marker wrote a Christmas greeting on the front. Simple, right? Inside I wrote a personal message and was done!

The envelope was a plain beige cream color so I decided to add a little to it. Here's what I used:

Magazine page, for cut-outs

Elmer's Glue Stick, for pasting

Crayola Markers in Classic Colors

Scissors and holiday stickers

Basically, I cut-out a few images from the page I had chosen and arranged them on the envelope pasting them down right away so as to know what kind of space I had to work with. Afterward I drew a little garland around the images on the edge of the front of the envelope and then decided to write "Merry Christmas" in several languages (this was a personal choice as I know my friend will greatly appreciate the gesture). Here's a close up of the front of the envelope:

For the back of the envelope I used a sticker in the middle and wrote out some lyrics of popular holiday songs all over the back, again, just a personal touch that would be appreciated by the recipient. One just needs to get creative and know the likes of the person being given the card or gift. Here is an image of the back of the envelope:

See how easy and personal that is? I'll let you know what he thought of it once I've given it to him! Just thought I would share that simple craft idea with you all. Please, don't forget to check out my personal crafting blog, Mes Petites Creations, for more crafting and decorating ideas. May your days be sunny and bright and may all your Christmases be white!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nadia Marie

PS: I will post a photo of the card once it's been received!

Traveling Notebooks & PenPalling

2010-12-07T05:22:00.000-05:00

Traveling Notebooks
Whether you have heard about them or not, you can participate in the one that SandbookNet is organizing. The idea behind the Traveling Notebook is that you will receive a notebook in the post from someone (either the Sandbook.Net team or another player in the game) and you will have to:
1) Decorate two pages - you can either tell us something about your culture, country, customs or even your lifestyle, share inspirational thoughts or anything at all that you find worth sharing. You can use whatever your heart desires to decorate the pages - clippings, deco tape, ribbons, postcards, photos, glitter, etc.
2) Take a photo of your entry and send it to us at fun(at)sandbook.net so that we can keep track where the notebook is and if you have completed the first task.
3) Send it to the next person who have signed to join the game.
Once all the people have signed, the notebook will be returned to us and we'd make photos and upload them in our Traveling Notebook Section. We'd have them in picture formats and also available in pdf format so you can look through the whole notebook once it is complete.
To sign up for the "real" Traveling Notebook - you have to fill out the form on our website. Click here to do so: Participate in Real Traveling Notebook.

Virtual Traveling Notebook
(Traveling Sheets)
We realize that the project of the "Real" Traveling Notebook is very ambitious and that it might face certain difficulties in terms of getting lost in the mail or someone breaking off the chain of the Traveling Notebook.

Moreover the decorated Traveling Notebook will progressively get heavier and it might present unexpected postal fees/costs for the people later on in the list, so that's why we decided to come up with an alternative, called the Virtual Traveling Notebook. For this project you will need to: decorate any number of A5 sized sheets of paper (that is 6 x 9 inches). Again you can present your country, lifestyle, customs, or any message you want to pass along and send them to our SandbookNet's postal address. As soon as we receive the decorated sheets, we will make photos of them and then tag them with your name and country (and email if you choose so) and finally upload them on our website so anyone can view them. Also when we have more sheets together, we will be making "virtual notebooks" (by combining the sheets that we have received) and making them into pdf files that you will be able to download.
To participate in any of the traveling projects you will need to state your interest by filling out the application form on our pen pal site or click here: Participate in Real Traveling Notebook.

SandbookNet is updated!

2010-12-03T13:34:00.000-05:00

Our New Look is out: Have you explored it? If not, head to Sandbook.Net and check it out! Then don't forget to voice out your opinion about our latest update!

You may be asking or already aware why such a change was needed and made. Ever since SandbookNet's birthday on Nov 11th, 2010, we have been having a new bubbly website layout. The new design was compact, but there were issues surrounding it.

Firstly, the mailing system was misbehaving and not working. For some reason it refused to work with our design. The problem was rather annoying, since we were relying on the mailing system to distribute the magazine. Our IT Specialist was working on the mailing system and he finally managed resolve the problem. However, the magazine's size did not allow us to send the first issue as an attachment to all of our subscribers. Instead, we used the mailing system to send out a link to our website so anyone can download their copy of the magazine.

Secondly, as we understood it the hard way, the design was prone to hackers attacks as there were some unresolved problems with the code towards the website. That might sound a bit abstract, but in short it meant that we had to start working on a new design and to write a new "code". As we were in the process of updating our website, it was sadly hacked. The site was down for several hours and later on restored. That made us speed up our work.

Finally, people complained about the navigation menu, so we decided to redo it. Our new website has easy to handle menu with less drop down menus. We also took in mind the suggestions that were coming in from our Survey, so we finalized the looks and gave the site a final brush. We are looking forward to your comments on our new look!

So to all of you, from all of us and of course our friends Gaya Designs: hope you will enjoy the new look and functionality of our website! :)

OPERATION SOLDIER SWAP

2010-11-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

November is Military Family Appreciation Month here in the States. I may not agree with all of my governments decisions, but I respect and support the American servicemen and women in the military, especially those of the National Guard. I wanted to serve, but could not due to medical reasons. My Grandfather was in the Air Force, my uncle was a Marine, and my little brother this past spring finished basic training for the National Guard, and could potentially be shipped out. No matter the politics, these men and women serve their country, their families, other folks the world over, for ideals higher than themselves.

In the case of the National Guard, many choose to serve while maintaining their private/personal lives, rather than lengthier/full time service. No matter if it is the Guard or another branch, or here in America or elsewhere in the world, military personnel may have a great sacrifice not necessarily of their personal choosing, but one of duty and honor.

To honor these folks, I have created the OPERATION SOLDIER SWAP, to combine my interest in postcard swapping, and to offer something to those National Guards who are serving overseas. I have contacted the National Guard, via their Facebook page, asking if there are soldiers overseas who may be interested in corresponding once a month through postcard exchanges, as some may not get much in the way of mail. I have contacted friends on my Michigan Swappers group (Facebook), and those on the I love postcards :) page (Facebook) if they may have an interest in helping. I've yet to hear back from any soldiers, but the National Guard page responded that it was a wonderful and interesting idea!

I hope to correspond with some of those who are serving, and hope that this project in some way gives them something to make their duty a little better...

FORE! GOLF 101 & MY PASSION FOR THE FAIRWAYS & GREENS

2010-11-11T14:29:00.000-05:00

"FORE!"
Golf 101 & My Passion for the Fairways & Greens
By G.J.Lentz

Depending on the season and weather, I love to be out on the golf course! It is a sport/hobby I picked up just a year ago with my uncle, a sport I always thought was pretty silly and lame. Growing up I never cared for sports much, my father played with his work buddies, my grandfather was passionate about it, having visited many courses around the country, but I just didn't "get it". That is until one day my uncle invited me out to go with him, to drive the cart while he played. After a few holes I was intrigued and wanted to give it a whack myself! It was addicting, a lot of fun, good exercise, and it's a great way to have some fun an test your skills!

Here in Battle Creek, Michigan we have many wonderful courses to choose from, public and members only. It really isn't too costly to start and play, but it an be if you go nuts for it. However, if you're good and Tigeresque, you could make millions in the pros! Or at least become a local legend...

When the weather turns south, like now as winter comes, the courses close up until spring, unless your fortunate enough to live in laces like Florida, Arizona, or California, as an example, where the climate allows for year around golfing. Or if you have the time and money, you could always travel out of state and even out of country to experience great golfing anytime of the year. It is my dream to hit the courses of St. Andrew's in Scotland, as well as others around the world.

I am not a pro, and I am not particularly skilled, but in just a year I have come a long ways. I am not the most knowledgeable on the game, and I don't really follow the pro sport, but I like to catch some of it on the Golf channel now and again to see how the pros play and what courses they play, that I have "played" on the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise for the PlayStation. If I'm low on cash or the weather is sucking, I always have my Tiger Woods on the PlayStation. And you know what? You can actually learn a lot from it, and I do believe it has helped my own game. Still, there is nothing to compare to real world experience. Practice makes perfect!

Courses locally and worldwide are designed with great beauty and challenges to the player. There is an element of skill, luck, and physics to the sport. One of my biggest challenges is learning to judge distance and striking the ball. It's not too hard on the PlayStation as there are a lot of aids, which has helped me to improve my real-world game, but out on the course it can be tricky. I just have a poor judge for distance, naturally, and judging the power of my stroke, and I have yet to learn how to strike the ball in different ways for spinning it left, right, forward, back...the game offers many challenges to players of all learning and mastery levels.

Basically in golf you are hitting a little ball with a stick! That is how the sport first was started back in the 15th century by sheep herders in Scotland. They knocked around a rock with a stick or their staff along natural trails and obstacles. Over the centuries it as evolved and science even plays a great role in the sport nowadays as courses and equipment are designed for optimal play and challenge.

The basic rule of golf is to hit the ball well, get it close to the hole, and to "putt" the ball into the hole with as few strokes as possible. Each course has 18 holes, that is standard, though smaller area courses may just be 9 holes, or larger courses may offer 2 or more courses, each with 18 holes, for beginners, amateurs, and the more experienced. Each "hole", which means from start to finish, has a scoring "par". Ever us or hear the term, "Par for the course"? Par means a definitive number or amount, equally no more or less than stated.

In golf, each hole has a par of strokes, the number of times you should hit the ball before getting it in the hole. There are Par 3's, Par 4s, and Par 5's, meaning respectively, on a Par 3 you should hit the ball no more than 3 times, making your hole on the 3rd hit...4 times for a Par 4, and 5 times for a Par 5. There are penalties for hitting it more than your "Par", and t be a better and great player, it is always good to make it "Under Par", that is making your hole in less strokes than required. Official course rules allows for a standard Par of 72 for an entire game of 18 holes. To make Par for the course, you should score exactly 72, making par every hole. Making Under Par throughout the course is great, while Over Par is not so much!

Golf s a game where you play against the course, against nature and the design of the course, against yourself, and you can also play against a friend or many others. You can team up, and there are variations to the rules to make for more challenging or fun games. As with many other games/sports there are handicaps for different levels of players and the courses. No 2 holes are exactly the same, as you have to take into count the levelness of the ground, the weather (wind, rain), the distance and design of each hole, and such things as obstacles (trees, rough ground, tall grass, sand bunkers...)

Courses all over the world are designed in many different ways, but with standards as dictated by the PGA, the Pro Golfers Association. Some courses have a PGA rating, because they meet or exceed certain pro sport standards for the course, but a course can be made and played by anyone, in any fashion.

A course is designed for aesthetics and challenge of the game. Many courses around the world, and even locally, are a showcase of the area's naturally beauty, and man's creativity. Great thought and care is taken to create and maintain a course, using special types of grass, elevations, and "routes" from the Tee position to the Green, where the Flag/Pin and Hole is. Each hole, and the course as a whole may use several different types of grass that hold up to wear and tear, and the seasons, and utilize the natural beauty and obstacles of trees, brush, rocks, or man made creeks, sand bunkers, etc...

Your basic equipment are clubs and balls, and there are many different brands designed to aid the player both amateur and pro, but knowledge, skill and luck are really more important. I have been playing with a cheap club set that cost about 100 dollars, and I generally buy a handful of used balls from the course I play, or a cheap box of balls from the local Meijer/Wal Mart. You will want "tees" which are wood or plastic like "picks" that you stick in the ground, they are like pedestals for the ball to sit on and be struck from. They come in a range of colors ad styles for player preference, some are designed for beginners to allow a "perfect" tee position for your drive. Gloves are also used, you need just one depending on whether your a righty or lefty, to aid in grip, some people prefer to use two. You can purchase your club set with a carrying bag, or choose individual clubs and buy the bag separately. You can walk the course with your bag, very good exercise, you may buy/rent a caddy which you can wheel your bag easier while still walking (club bags can be a bit weighty) or you may rent a golf cart and ride around (I'm lazy I always ride, lol). Besides, when you hit a bad ball it's much easier to ride about to find it, and I always feel (being an amateur) that I don't want to hold up someone else's game behind me as I am constantly searching for my vagabond balls.

You start your game at the Tee Box, or the Drive. You commonly use the Driver club, designed to really whack the hell out of that poor ball! Depending on distance, the Fairway, and obstacles, you may club-down to a 3 or 5 Wood, or a 1 or 2 Iron. Each club is designed, in principle, for different distances, height, and shot types, to be determined by the players skill, style, or the lie of their ball. This is what the Caddy does if you ever watch a game of golf, they too are good players, and help chose the right club for the occasion, for the player. This is one of my faults in the game, as I have yet to master knowing what club to use, and what my skill is for each club. A great way to test this is using a Driving Range, where you can practice striking the ball with each of your clubs, with varying power and distances, to get a feel for what you will use on the course. I go now and again, but I prefer the experience and practice on the course, myself.

Teeing off, or driving your ball is important, but not ALL important. Some players go for maximum distance, others for accuracy...me for a compliment of both. There is a great satisfaction in hitting that ball hard and well. To hear the whack of the club head against the ball...I love it! Even better is to see it soar sky high, and land in a very good position up on the Fairway. Your drive is determined by your power of the swing, your form of the swing, your speed of the swing...it is also is determined by wind speed and direction, the lie of the Fairway, and the elevation of the course. Many factors to learn and master, but it is fun, its a game of games within the game.

Players have different styles by which they an hold and strike the ball, it's important to try and learn them and practice them, to find what works best for you, and what is best for the condition of where your playing and what you want to achieve. Sometimes accuracy and laying-up is more important than taking out your frustrations by "killing" the ball. It just depends on what you want to achieve. My drives are generally pretty low and not too far, though I get some pretty good ones now and again. I practice to improve getting my ball higher, and further, but also straighter. I hate missing the Fairway to left or right, especially when I loose a ball to the woods, deep brush, or some creek, pond. Where your ball drops, rolls, and comes to lie will greatly determine your next shot, what club, and how easy to make par or better, or worse.

The Tee position often has at least 3 different positions, the furthest back from the fairway is the most experienced golfers position, allowing for a longer hole, and for those who are power hitters. Many courses have a map of each hole and tells you the distance from that tee to the flag/hole. The middle tee is for the average golfer, and the shorter tee, closest to the Fairway, commonly called the Woman's Tee, for beginners and those who do not hit very far. I have worked my way from the Women's Tee to the middle Tee! The Tee area is made of a different grass than the rest of the course, it is very short and hardy, as it is trampled and gouged by club swings, called divots. Good etiquette here is to replace the divot if you see the chunk of sod you drove with or instead of the ball, lol, but many places offer a bucket of dirt and seed that you can place and tap with your foot, to help maintain the course. After all, if maintenance prices increase, so does the cost of your game! Also, you should be quiet when someone is taking their stroke, be behind the player to not inhibit their drive, or for safety in-case of an errant ball flies back and to the side (it happens and could be lethal). You never drive a cart upon the tee grass, take a good look at it, you can see the difference.

After your Tee drive, you should be in the Fairway. The Fairway is made of one or more grass types, different from the Tee, the Green, and the Rough. The Fairway is the stretch of green grass, cut very short, like astro turf in baseball/football, by which you always want the ball to be landing. To be outside the Fairway is a bad shot, most often you would be in the Rough, which is longer, thicker grass, sometimes the natural grass of the area, other times designed, there may be rush, bushes, trees, or rocks...creeks, ponds...it can be bad, but sometimes not too bad...but still it may cost you an extra stroke or a harder approach to get to the Green. I don't know what the official PGA standard is, and some courses offer their own standard, but a certain distance outside of the Fairway may be considered Out of Bonds, lie in football or baseball, and you will take an automatic 2 stroke penalty, OUCH! I know water shots, where you loose your ball to a creek, pond, is an automatic 2 stroke penalty. On a Drive, you commonly re-drive your ball from the Tee if it is out of bounds. On a water shot, you would either shoot again from your spot, or take a drop near where your ball went in the water. I usually strike again from wherever I am. On a drive, it is good etiquette that you take what ever shot you have, unless lost to deep woods/brush/water, then it is common to take a new shot. Courses don't like you playing "best ball", something I frequently do if no one is really behind me, because I don't want to take up someone else's time.

The Fairway may not always be flat land, it can have elevations and dips, it may carry the ball to the left or right, it mind wind its way to the Green like a snake...Many courses, if you look closely, and this is true on the PlayStation, the Fairway grass looks banded with lighter and darker rows...like you might see of some peoples lawns. This is done to show the direction of the Fairway, the ball will generally follow that line, but this isn't something all courses have, or that can be completely dependant on. Depending on your lie, the position of the ball, and the distance to the Green, your next shot will be the Approach shot, meaning you are approaching the Green, your goal to get it in the cup, the hole, or at least very close for a easy Putt. If your on a Par 4, this is your 2nd stroke, you should be able to make the Green or very close. On a Par 5 you will be taking a 3rd stroke to reach the Green, unless your very good. On Tiger Woods PGA for PlayStation I am THAT good. In real life? A Par 5 is like a Par 10 for me, lol!

Club choice depends on the wind, the lie, the distance, and your skill. At the very least you want to stay in the Fairway, if you can't make the Green. You may have to negotiate things like rough, brush, trees, rocks, sand bunkers or water hazards before getting to the green, it isn't always a straight shot. Your ball might be laying downhill, uphill...the wind may be blowing to your back, face, right, left...you have to judge these things and make your call. Bunker shots, the sand traps, are not good. They are a harder shot, that's why they are called traps, lol. They are doable, but it takes skill and always luck. It's very, very good to just learn to avoid them, which sometimes means you should lay up, or hit the ball to land shorter than you would like, but safer. Better to be safer than sorry.

You should always be careful and aware of what is going on around you. A stray ball can be deadly. Don't strike if people are still on the fairway. It's usually okay to drive if folks are on the green, but better form to just wait. Most courses have these holes lying alongside one another, so a stray ball is always possible, you must yell out, FORE! as a warning, if it appears your ball may be heading in the general direction of others. This warns them to watch out, take cover! It happens, else there wouldn't be a word for it!

After your approach shot you may not be on the Green, but you could still gt the ball in the hole, or very close if you are skilled and lucky. I use my Pitching Wedge when I am this close, a firm shot, following through with my swing...you must gage distance, lie, wind, and your power of the stroke. I always try to not miss the hole by much, that is my goal. I am often on one side of the Green, and then on the other! Grrrrrrr! You have Chip shots, which a shorter bouncing shot, and you have shots like Pitch and Flop, which are higher and flop down. You just have to learn them and practice them. If your in the sand, you would use a sand wedge. As with teeing off, you will want to rake the sand, to fix the marks you have left with your feet and stroke, because you may cause voids that another players ball may get stuck in. Usually there are sand rakes nearby the trap for you smooth out your mishaps. The same goes for the Fairway, if you create a divot, you should find that clump you displaced, and tap it back into the ground to help maintain the course.

The Green is where you want to end up, close to the hole if not already getting the ball in. Putting is where you're true test of the game is. There is a saying in golf, "Drive for show and putt for dough,". All your shots to the green have amounted to getting you to make Par, hopefully, but putting can really kill your game. Many courses offer a putting practice zone where you can practice. And don't think for a minute that Miniature Golf doesn't help. It actually can.

The Green is made of different grasses, it is very short like carpet. Some green may be soft, some ma be hard. This means your ball may plop down and lie down dead, it may bounce and roll away...The Green area may be elevated above the Fairway, it may lie down from the Fairway. The Green itself is a game unto itself. It may have twists and curves, you may be putting uphill or down, you don't always luck out with a straight even shot to the hole, or the cup. But that is your goal, to get it in with few shots, hopefully just one if it didn't skillfully or luckily roll in on your approach for a Birdie or Eagle, or a god-shot: the Albatross.

Par of course is getting the ball in the hole on the 3rd, 4th, or 5th shot depending on the requirement for that hole. A Birdie is getting it in one shot under the par: 2/3, 3/4, or 4/5. A Eagle, a very good scoring shot, is two under par: that is a Hole in One, or an Ace if it is a Par 3, or 2/4 and 3/5 respectively. An Albatross is one of those OH MY GOD moments...getting the shot in the whole as a Hole in One on a Par 4, or on your 2nd shot of a Par 5.

When putting you use the putter, a special club designed just for that. It all depends on the lie, the speed, your luck and skill. Taking more shots than par results in a bad score, Bogey for 1 Over Par, Double Bogey for 2 Over Par, Triple Bogey for 3 Over Par, and so on with a cut off of 10 strokes. You never really have to count or take a score past the tenth, if its not in, by that 10th shot, your taking a 10 over, which equals: 13 for a Par 3, 14 for a Par 4 and a 15 for Par 5. Playing outside of official games you should keep putting, if no one is waiting for you. This gives you practice with different lies and distances. My goal is to always get it to at least stop right next to the hole, if not going in. I hate, but commonly over shoot the hole.

On a Par three your ultimate goal and right of passage is to make the HOLE IN ONE, getting that ball in the cup/hole on your first swing. I have yet to do it, but my shot is getting better, I'm at least making more Greens than not. You at least want to try and get your ball on the Green, for a Birdie Putt, if not as close as possible, on any approach regardless of Par.

My uncle says it is a game you love to hate, and it is true. It can be very frustrating, but the challenges are also what makes it interesting. Your playing outside, under different and sometimes uncontrollable conditions to test your skill and luck. It's great way to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening on your own, with a friend, or a small group; fresh air, nature, friendship, exercise...FORE!

Yummy Egg Fried rice With Prawns

2010-11-10T13:58:00.000-05:00

I love egg fried rice and I also love prawns so why not add them together to make a tastey dish.

Egg fried rice with prawns

Quick fried prawns

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
1 red pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp ginger
1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
200g white rice
150g prawns
100g canned/frozen peas or sweetcorn
2 large eggs

Method

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in wok or frying pan and add 1 diced red pepper, crushed clove of garlic and 1tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger and 1 finely chopped red chilli (optional).
Add 200g cooked white rice, 150g cooked peeled prawns and 100g canned or frozen peas or sweetcorn and cook for 5 minutes.
Beat 2 large eggs and add to the rice mixture and cook for 1 minute.

Facebook Tests Displaying Friends’ Photos On Homepage

2010-11-07T20:34:00.000-05:00

Facebook Tests Displaying Friends’ Photos On Homepage

Honduran White Bats Are Fluffy Marshmallow Critters | The Featured Creature

2010-11-04T20:55:00.000-04:00

Honduran White Bats Are Fluffy Marshmallow Critters | The Featured Creature

My life and pen palling

2010-11-03T02:24:00.000-04:00

Hi there everybody. My name is Sharon and I'm new to this blog. I'll just introduce myself in this post. I am 32 years old. I live in Dallas, Texas with my darling husband and 7 month old baby boy. I work full time at a 24 hour call center that handles calls for emergency roadside assistance/dispatch. That is what we do, but there are many campaigns that are there. I take calls for Avis/Budget rental car customers. It's not too bad. The pay is pretty good. I am here for the same reason as you. I am here to meet new people and have fun. With the job I have, I unfortunately have no time for a social life. There are many of us at this job that have that problem. I did do my best to have a good time today with my husband and a new friend from work as we all hung out today and played Monopoly. That was fun. So I am trying, and when I am not socializing with anyone at work, I am online chatting or e-mailing or writing letters to people in my spare time, whether at work or here at home. I do a lot of my writing at work in between calls. I have been pen palling for many years off and on. For the past few years I have been moving around and doing other things and was too busy to do any pen palling, let alone any swapping. Now, I have settled down and am a happily married woman to a wonderful man and mother to a great kid. The Lord has truly blessed me. My parents are still alive, thank goodness. I have a big brother who is also happily married to a great girl and together they have 4 children now. They have a set of twin girls, a 2 year old girl and a baby boy who is 2 months older than mine. Lately, I am doing what I can to meet people and get back into writing. I usually like to write about what is going on in my life and the things that I have learned that interests me. I usually write very long letters or e-mails. I really enjoy social media web sites like facebook and myspace, and I just joined Cafe Mom the other night and am getting into that. Things that I may be writing about are ways to improve our lives, diabetes as that is a big part of my life, and just anything else that is of interest to me. I hope that you find what I write to be of interest to you. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks! :)

How to: Smoky Eyes

2010-10-28T12:52:00.000-04:00

Here is a great step by step guid on how to get the smoky eyes look.

1. Apply a dark eyeshadow over your entire eyelid, blending it up and out towards outer edges (hint: a slightly shimmery texture looks sexier and will be easier to blend). For a true 'air-brushed' effect, use a cotton bud to soften hard edges.

2. Using a dark eyeliner pencil, thinly line eyes close to your upper and lower lashes, from the inner eye corner to the outer edge and back again for a smooth finish. For added drama, line the inside of your eyes with a dark pencil in black, grey or brown (if you find these colours too severe, try a dark blue or dark green).

3. Smudge the pencil line and intensify if necessary by repeating step 2. For a slightly "slept in" look, use a smudger brush to soften the line.

4. Curl lashes and apply glossy black mascara, making sure you apply to the inner and outer lashes to really open up your eyes.

Spider Cake

2010-10-28T11:29:00.001-04:00

Something to make this halloween tha everyone who comes round will love.

Spder Cake

225g self-raising flour
2 level tsp baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs

To make the icing
100g butter, softened
450g icing sugar
100g chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted and cooled
3-4tbsp orange juice
Few drops of Black and Orange Food Colouring

Grease two 20cm shallow round cake tins and line the bases. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the orange zest, butter, caster sugar and eggs and beat together.
Divide between the tins and level the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes or  until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Beat the butter for the icing with 200g icing sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the chocolate, then sandwich the cakes with the chocolate butter icing.
Sift the remaining sugar into a bowl and add enough juice to make an icing that will coat the cake. Put a little in a separate bowl, colour it black, put it in a small freezer bag and snip off a corner.
Mix the orange colouring with the rest of the icing and pour over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. Pipe four rings of black icing on top and draw a skewer through the icing to get a web effect.

This Day in History — History.com — What Happened Today in History

2010-10-18T01:25:00.000-04:00

This Day in History — History.com — What Happened Today in History

13 Facebook Parodies That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

2010-10-17T13:43:00.000-04:00

13 Facebook Parodies That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

Steak, Guinness and cheese pie with a puff pastry lid

2010-10-17T08:31:00.000-04:00

Steak, Guinness and cheese pie with a puff pastry lid

ingredients
• olive oil
• 3 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 30g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
• 4 field mushrooms, peeled and sliced
• 1kg brisket of beef or stewing beef, cut into 2cm cubes
• a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x 440ml can of Guinness (no lager, please!)
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 200g freshly grated Cheddar cheese
• 500g best-quality ready-made all-butter puff pastry
• 1 large free-range or organic egg, beaten

method

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. In a large ovenproof pan, heat a glug of olive oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes – try not to colour them too much. Turn the heat up, add the garlic, butter, carrots and celery and scatter in the mushrooms. Mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, a pinch of salt and a level teaspoon of pepper.

Fry fast for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours. Remove the pan from the oven and give the stew a stir. Put it back into the oven and continue to cook it for another hour, or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick. A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the hob and reduce until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese, then season carefully and leave to cool slightly.

Cut about a third of the pastry off the block. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll both pieces of pastry out evenly with a floured rolling pin to the thickness of a pound coin. Butter a deep pie dish, then line with the larger sheet, leaving the edges dangling over the side. Tip the stew into your lined dish and even it out before sprinkling over the remaining cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.

Cut the other rolled sheet of pastry to fit the top of the pie dish and criss-cross it lightly with a sharp knife. Place it over the top of the pie and fold the overhanging pastry on to the pastry lid to make it look nice and rustic. Brush the top with beaten egg, then bake the pie directly on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, until the pastry is cooked, puffed and golden. Delicious served simply with peas.

Granola Flapjacks

2010-10-17T08:22:00.002-04:00

I know its hard to find some good healthy snacks to eat that also taste great so I have found an easy and quick way to have something you will love and it be healthy for you.

The beauty of this recipe (as with anything that you make yourself at home) is that you can alway change some ingredients that you dont like for things that you do like.

Enjoy

Granola Flapjacks

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/ Gas 3. Line a shallow 28cm by 18cm and 3cm deep cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Put 175g butter, 3tbsp golden syrup, 100g soft brown sugar and 3tbsp lemon juice in a pan and stir over a low heat until melted. Mix 250g rolled oats (porridge oats), 25g flaked almonds, 2tbsp sesame seeds, 50g raisins and a pinch of cinnamon in a bowl and stir to combine. Press into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper and put it on top of the flapjack tin. Holding everything firmly, flip both tins over, so that the flapjack comes out on the flat tin. Remove the baking paper and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars and serve with yogurt and chopped dried apricots.

My Facebook Endeavors

2010-10-14T18:10:00.002-04:00

I, like 500+ Million others, am a Facebooker.

I have many, varied and evolving interests, that I like to share with the world, and I do so through Facebook. I have yet to see the movie, The Social Network, but it looks pretty interesting. I know who the "Zuck" is, but have never really had much of an interest in researching him or the history of this wonderful concept we know as Facebook.

I started using Facebook to reconnect with friends from the past, and family who I have not seen and live far away...I have used it to share my Likes and to pass time with fun applications like Farmville and Social City...but they grew tiring and mundane for me. Instead, I have recently started a few pages on Facebook to devote more time to my interests, and to share them with friends, family, and to broaden my online social network.

I first started getting involved with Facebook communities through a Facebook friend, Anna, who is from the U.K. She started a postcard swapping page, I Love Postcards :) where I have been sharing postcards and pen pal'n with new friends from all over the world. I also joined her Friendship Room on Facebook, where she promotes the culture of online social networking via Facebook, by providing a page to make new friends and share your lives and interests with others on Facebook.

So I created my own page of Facebook: Fan Fiction on Facebook w/ G.J. Lentz, to share my fan "fix" with others. I have an open invitation to all who like to write fan fiction of any genre, or for those who just like to read them. I have long had a passion for writing; I have joined many different writing groups all over the internet, from PBeM (play by email, a sort of role-playing fan fiction concept), to various fan fiction genre groups on places like Yahoo! Groups. I do love fan fiction; it is a culture of expanding upon the concepts of fan's favorite movies, books, or comics. I personally like science fiction and fantasy genres like Battlestar Galactica or George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.

I do have an interest in becoming a real writer; I would love to be published one day, but I would also be happy to make a living selling my ideas as a ghostwriter. I have an autobiography in the works, through WeBook, a resource/group I discovered on Facebook. I hope to catch the interest of an agent through the WeBook site once my manuscript is complete. I also have been working on a compilation of fantasy short stories based in a realm of my own creation called Theara (pronounced Terra). My baby though "write-now", is a complex time-travel piece based on an element of String Theory, with inspirations from the novel/movie Timeline, and the t.v show Fringe.

I decided to create a "professional" writing page on Facebook to share my journey and the processes of writing and becoming published. Titling it after myself, G.J Lentz, I share my ideas and research/inspirational elements of creating characters, plots, and story themes, my aspirations and frustrations, and the process of trying to get published.

Another project of mine involves my love of photography, my interest of being a writer, and the desire to travel the world. I thought one day, in the frustrations of daily life, how great it would be were it I could just pack a bag and just go...anywhere...but to report back via Facebook, posting pictures, video, and blog notes about my travels and experiences. I have an interest in world cultures, histories, and current worldly issues, so I thought to combine all of this and with Facebook as a center piece, I created The Vicarious Vagabond Project on Facebook to try and realize this endeavor.

The "Project" is first and foremost a means to connect Facebook members in the spirit of cultural tolerance and education. One day, I hope to travel the world, and share the world with those who cannot through my Facebook Page. I hope to gain a million members who will share the idea, and through social networking via Facbook, garner the interest and support required to take that first worldly journey.

As a Vicarious Vagabond it is my goal to be able to fund an initial year long journey around the world, through support from the page, having forged an invested community on Facebook who would vicariously experience all the world has to offer as I post pictures, video, and articles of all things cultural. I want to have people involved in all ways, to educate and promote some goodwill. It is my hope that through this project I could earn a living reporting on all things cultural, volunteering where I may, to be an ambassador for peace and tolerance among our varied world cultures. Perhaps one day the Vicarious Vagabond Project could become an organization to help fund other Vagabonds to travel and continue to spread the education and understanding we need in this world to make it a better place...

Bathroom Issues for Law Enforcement - PoliceLink

2010-10-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

Bathroom Issues for Law Enforcement - PoliceLink

Snyder builds run on business past | detnews.com | The Detroit News

2010-10-14T14:24:00.000-04:00

Snyder builds run on business past | detnews.com | The Detroit News

FAN FICTION ON FACEBOOK

2010-10-12T19:57:00.001-04:00

Next Level Blogs: Promote Your Blog Using Technorati I found this p...

2010-10-09T23:13:00.000-04:00

Next Level Blogs: Promote Your Blog Using Technorati

I found this p...: "Promote Your Blog Using Technorati I found this post to be especially helpful for those of you who want to pump up your blog through the us..."

Next Level Blogs: What To Do When You Get a Hater If you are any k...

2010-10-09T23:12:00.000-04:00

Next Level Blogs:
What To Do When You Get a Hater

If you are any k...: "What To Do When You Get a Hater If you are any kind of blogger, you voice your opinion. Whenever you do this, guess what? You will find ha..."

WANTED: Fan Fiction Writers & Readers...all genres

2010-10-08T11:42:00.001-04:00

By G.J. Lentz
www.imeandering.blogspot.com

WANTED: Fan Fiction Writers & Readers for all genres on FB FAN-FIX w/ G.J. Lentz.

This Facebook Page was created by Moi, to share the fun and interesting world of fan fiction writing with the world via Facebook. While I have my own genres of interest that I like to write and read of, this Page invites writers & readers for all genres to join and share in their works and love for whatever genre suits them!

Currently I have started writing for the Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars genres, with ideas for others like Underworld, and the zombie/undead/end-of-the-world genres. I'd love to meet and discuss writing with new people, and to share and bounce ideas off one another.

If you have never heard of fan fiction, here is the skinny:

Fan fiction is a genre of writing all of itself. In the writing world you have fiction and non-fiction, you have autobiographies, biographies, historical, you have horror, mystery, romance, young adult, science fiction, fantasy...Fan fiction is the writing of fiction by fans of an existing concept, be it a t.v. show, movie, comic book...

Many people get into fan fiction because they have a real love for a specific show, book, comic, or idea, and they want to write for it or read more of it. Simply they want to be more involved in that "world" than just what is offered from the original content. Like Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings; these genres have a huge cult following that have spawned such elements as role-playing games, online games, fan sites, and what has been coined as "expanded universes". Creative people want to continue what they love about these characters and worlds, some like to write stories about these characters and worlds, others like to read them. Often in fan fiction, fans will create their own plots and their own heroes & villains within that genre. They didn't create the worlds of Star Wars or Harry Potter, or the main characters, but they do create from their love and imagination unique and interesting characters and story lines inspired by the original content.

The world of fan fiction is not just about "pretending", there is a market for it. The whole genre of role-playing games, traditional and online, are aimed at such people to create and act out adventures n the realms they have interest in. Just about any genre or concept seems to have a RPG. I for one eagerly await the new Star Wars MMO, and have in my youth played RPGs like Star Wars, Battletech, and D&D.

In high school I came across a series of Star Wars novels by Timothy Zahn, which has spawned many series of Star Wars books over the years, continuing the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han and Chewie, and the struggles of that galaxy far, far away. They are known as the Expanded Universe, tales sprung from the love and success of George Lucas' Star Wars saga. Until the new Prequelogy (I am coining that word, lol) came out, people couldn't get enough, a series of books have since been published by author who are fans and have a love for the science-fiction genre. The difference between them and people like me, they get paid and published. Maybe one day I could too.

It's not just enough for me to create and talk about these worlds I love and extrapolate from, I want to share them, and I want to collaborate and discuss ideas. I want to see the group grow and branch off, I want to see people enjoy and share and having fun.

Aside from the more well known and common genres of Star Wars and Harry Potter, for example, I have also made room for the genre of Alternate History. The alternate history genre is in many ways like Dr. Who, or Sliders, the realm of visiting different variations of the history and world we know and live in. Think 1984, or Harry Turtledoves' Confederate States of America. Any time-era or event of history that someone has an interest of, but has an idea of how things "could have been" different, is ripe for fiction. So being a fan of the American Civil War, and main characters like Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Presidents Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, fan fiction could be comprised of re-writing history.

So come on over to FB FAN-FIX with G.J.Lentz and get your "fan fix" by joining and sharing. Even if your not into writing, but like to read new stories in the genres of your interest, join up and read the works, or leave comments asking us to write on a genre you have an interest or idea of...

Video Tutorial How to make nice and neat FBs (FriendshipBooks)

2010-10-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone! :)

I am working on a video tutorial on how to make nice and neat Fbs (yeah, those really cute Fbs with cover that we all love to swap). It's my attempt to make a quest against sloppy Fbs as I am sure that people would totally fall in love with the high quality FB's when they see them (and know to how to make them). That's why, I need your help!

I will be collecting photos/pictures of the FBs that you are making/have made to add in the video. That way, the video will contain various ideas about cute Fbs made worldwide, not only my own tips and decorative solutions. If you are as excited as I am, just send the photos to: fun@sandbook.net . I will give the credit for your photos by placing your name and country (and facebook profile/email if you want to) and putting them in the video. Let's make the video as colorful and diverse as we know that high quality Fbs can be.

We will be collecting photos all October till early November, so you have time to make your creations! You will be given the credit for your photos - we will publish them with your name/country or your facebook account so others will know how creative and resourceful you are! Don't be surprised if many decide to swap with you seeing your cute Fbs.

The video will be released on Nov 11th, when our humble site will become 2 years old. We will also reveal our new website design then which will offer a lot of more interactive features.

So get crafty and creative! We are waiting to see your Fbs!
Happy crafting!
Raia at Sandbook.net Team

Join us in our Facebook Event to keep tabs on how the Video Tutorial is Developing: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=679711106#!/event.php?eid=151846714852176&index=1

Free PenPal and Swappers Magazine hosted by the Team of www.Sandbook.Net

2010-10-08T10:16:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone!

Are you tired of placing your ads all over and over again so that they are in the most recent ads? From my personal experience I know how annoying and time consuming that can be! That's why Sandbook Net organizes a PenPal Magazine.

To place an ad to the magazine you will have to email magazine@sandbook.net

and send:

1) your name/age/country and email address
2) your message (telling us a bit about yourself like hobbies, interests, etc
3) the duration that you like us to run your ad 1-2 or 3 months... (if you don't specify - we will run it for this issue and choose if we wi...ll rerun it at later times)
That's all! You will receive the magazine in your email box!

If you want to receive the magazine WITHOUT placing an ad in it, you will only need to send us an email stating that you want to receive the magazine without putting an ad (we'd use the name/email that are on the email account that you use to get in touch with us).

Ways to get even more involved:- send an ad to promote your blog/website/small business if it deals with penpalling (you can send us your logo as well).
- if you want you can also write an article - the best will be published!

The ad and the digital copy of the magazine is for FREE.We are very hopeful to have our first issue in mid to late November 2010. So come on and email us!

From the Sandbook.net Team
PS. Snail mail addresses won't be published since we don't want you to end up with tons of junk mail in your mail box. You will get the friendship requests in your email box and then choose yourself to whom to send your address to. Also if you insist on having your snail mail address publish, you will be disregarding this warning and you will have to send us an email UNDERLINING that you want to have the address published despite our warning.
Join us in our Facebook Event Page to know all the latest news surrounding the production of the magazine http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=679711106#!/event.php?eid=164868790191942

Best online videos | moviespot.ro

2010-10-08T01:21:00.000-04:00

Best online videos | moviespot.ro

Battlestar Galactica Fan Fiction

2010-10-08T00:55:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed reading and writing of various fan fiction genres for several years. I have started a fan-fiction page on Facebook to share my fan-fiction writing for others to join and share their own fan fiction fun. Currently I have been working on a series of Battlestar Galactica inspired fan fictions, called Battlstar Orion: Fall of the Colonies.

Fall of the Colonies follows the crew of the Orion, an advanced training detachment of the fleet. In the first two parts, titled Homecoming, the Orion has docked in orbit around Picon after a long 6 month training exercise, the crew eagerly awaits a long deserved leave. Unfortunately for them though, in keeping with the BSG line of events, their homecoming and desires for leave will be met with disaster, as the Cylons have begun their attack on the Colonies.

Unlike the Galactica storyline, the Orion will be staying about the Colonies to search for survivors and battle their Cylon enemies. My fan fiction works in this genre will explore "the end of the world" scenarios, and explore the devastations of Cylon occupied worlds of the Colonies...here is a "special edition" posting of the first two parts of Homecoming, with added pictures from the web, which are- of course copyrighted- only used to add some visual element to the tales...

Battlestar Orion: Fall of the Colonies
Homecoming Part 1
By G.J. Lentz

The Battlestar Orion is the flagship of an advanced training detachment of the Colonial Fleet. The Orion has been on a long and arduous training exercise in deep space, its crew is due for a long deserved and awaited leave. However, their homecoming will prove to be anything but joyous...

...Colonel Horatio Quinn...

Horatio traced the curves of her body with a feather. He watched the very fine hairs rise as slight goosebumps were raised from her flesh.

She shifted on the bed beside him. Having held in the urge to squirm all she could, Elannara curled into a ball and giggled. "Alright! Alright, I'm up already!" She turned to face him with a mischevious grin.

Horatio met hers with a grin of his own as he flicked the feather playfully, teasing her nose and lips, taking joy at the site of her exquisite face squishing comically from the tickling of the feather. She was beautiful, he thought as he gazed into her dark, almond shaped eyes. His heart skipped a beat as she locked her gaze to his own hazel eyes.

"Why won't you come to Virgon with me? You've nothing to be ashamed of," he whispered to her as he lightly brushed his lips to hers. "You would be accepted, it's different with my family, they would love you."

He sat up and pulled her close to him, embracing her. She smiled at the prospect, but he could still sense the reservation she held within as he held her close, but not tightly.

"We've been through this before Horatio," she said with a sigh, and he could feel her tension. "It's complicated and I don't want to be brought into that aspect of your life until I am ready. I know they would be accepting, I just feel..."

"You feel an outsider because you have no family and think you have nothing to offer in return," Horatio said, finishing her sentence as they had been over and over the topic a thousand times. "You've nothing to feel less of Elennara," he tried to reassure her again for the thousandth time. "I understand your feelings, being alone without family ties, orphaned at such an early age. You feel the Fleet is your only home and family, well I am part of the fleet, part of your family. I just want to offer you another part, give you something more than what you have."

uh-oh, Elennara is a Sharon!?

"I know, I know...I just," she replied as she searched for the words. "You already have three wives, and they bring so much to your family: Kayla runs the ranch and her family helped you to start the conservation fund, Olivia is a teacher and will home-school your kids, and Tonya is a financial whiz...what do I have to offer, that they would want to share me with you? I'm just an average grunt in the Colonial Marines who helps you pass the time..."

"Stop it right there," he said with more annoyance than he wished he'd allowed, but he was growing very frustrated with same tirade everytime he tried to change her mind. "You know you're more than just that to me. Why else would I continually try to offer for you to meet my wives and kids, to offer you a place in my family, to give you a family life outside of the fleet?

Yes they all have family backgrounds and skills and educations that bring many great things to the family, but so do you. You're a fighter, a survivor...you share with me an aspect of my life, my professional life that they don't. That is your place in my life, you would be a connection between the personal and professional, a part of my life they don't always understand and that is hard for me to share.

You're not just a means to pass time until I can be home. You would have your place just as they have theirs. In fact, they would be more than pleased to have someone like you as part of the family, someone that is up here with me sharing in that part of my life. They would accept and see you for the wonderful and caring person you are, and they would respect and appreciate you, having my back up here."

"You really think so?" she said with less reservation and a dash of hopefulness. "I wouldn't be a wedge...or a..."

"You would just be you, bringing and offering all that you are. You are a compliment to what I have and love of the others, not a hinderance, not a passing of time. I'm just asking that you give it a chance, try it out...you'd be surprised."

"I know, Gods I'm so damned stubborn, really I don't see how you have kept interest in me."

what Horatio's quarters would look like

"I like your stubborness," Horatio said as he massaged the final tension from her bare shoulders. "I love you Elannara, and so will they, and you will love them to. We'll take things as they come, I'm not trying to rush you into anything, but if this is going to work I need you to try and be a part of my family life, and then you will see..."

"You're right, and I love you too," she said. "Its just so different, than the mainstream. I didn't grow up with the traditional family, but it was what I have always wanted and dreamed of. Joining the Marines and finding that comraderie...it filled that void, but I was still missing something...and with you...I've never felt this. I guess in some ways too I am apprehensive of sharing you...I don't know how I am supposed to act..."

"You have to relearn how you think about the family dynamic. And just be yourself as I have told you a thousand times over. One of the things that drew me to you was the fact that you grew up without a traditional family life, but at your core you yearn for that belonging that only a family has to offer. Not very many people who are not from Virgo, who didn't grow up like I did with more than one mother or father can really know or appreciate what it has to offer. You grew up without any...but you don't have to be alone anymore."

He sat with her, embraced for a long quite moment. It was peaceful and he felt he had finally broken through her many walls. He really did love her, and if she found her place with his other wives he would ask her to marry him, to be his new wife.

what Virgon might be like?

His culture was very open minded, very different from the mainstream of the 12 Colonies. Virgon was set apart from the other Colonies in many ways; they were greatly involved with nature preservation and education amidst a worlds-wide culture that was ever increasingly dominated by increased over-development and reliance on technology- often at the cost of depleting natural resources and wildlife. Virgon was a beautiful world whose people wished to maintain and protect its natural resources and wonder. During the Cylon War over 40 years ago the planet had seen great devastation at the hands of the techno-terrors the Colonials had created. They had been a means to make life easier o the Colonials so that they could put forth their energies and labors to greater things, but instead they had only wrought greater destruction. It took many years but Virgon was a leader among the Colonies in righting much of the wrong that was perpetrated by the machines. His world, his people, were a leader in bringing life back from the ashes of war. Five of the most prominent and leading of eco-management and naturalist technologies corporations were founded and based on Virgon.

Virgon was also known for its polygamist family values, only one other Colony, Geminon, had such an open and untraditional set of core family values. Geminons polygamy was rooted deep in spiritual values though, which made it more accepted. The cultures of Geminon had long been known for their faith, and to Horatio it was a great quality though he held little in regard to faith. His people weren't so much followers of religion of spirit, rather over generations Virgon transformed the dogma of faith into a more naturalist sort of religion. Where most believers of the Gods valued a pantheon of deities, Virgon saw each of the different Gods as a different face of facet of a more singular or monotheistic spirit. And rather than placing their hopes and dreams in the personified hands of the Lords of Kobal, they saw the Gods in the wonder of all nature and life. They saw the dynamics of family too in nature, like the lion prides of the vast Virgon Wild Plains, where there were more than just the standard union of couples, like the old saying went, it took a village.

"I'll go with you Horatio," Elennara said, breaking his deep thought.

Virgon from space?

He was pleased. He wanted to make much more of their relationship. He never felt like he was cheating on his other wives, and though he was brought up with such open values, he wanted the relationship to have meaning, and not just a "fling or passing of time" as Elennara had often described it. His wives knew of her, that she often shared his bed while he was away on duty. They were accepting of his seeking companionship while away for long and trying times of duty. His wives had their boyfriends, Kayla had even recently married again, bringing a 2nd husband into the fold. It was their way.

They were both due a lengthy and well deserved leave after a grueling six month long exercise in deep space. As a colonel aboard the Orion, his duties were near never ending, helping to command a battlestar was no easy task, nor was managing a family of multiple wives, husbands, children...his family life was not too unlike that of his military career. He relished them both. He looked forward to bringing her home to Virgon. He knew it would be bring them closer and that...

An explosion rocked the ship.

Horatio and Elennara were thrown from the bed as subsequent explosions rocked and vibrated violently through the ships hull.

"What the frack!?" they cursed in unison as alarms blared throughout the ship...

a battle scene pic from the t.v. series...

Homecoming Part 2 (By G.J. Lentz)

The Battlestar Orion has recently returned from a 6 month training exercise in deep space. Docked in orbit over the Picon Colony, the Fleet Headquarters, the Orion has been on twelve of a twenty-four hour mandatory lock-down prior to its crew being able to make leave...

...Major Maya Nguyen...

"12 more hours and we're home free people," Major Nguyen announced, a she had every hour, on the hour, since the Orion had dry docked in orbit around Picon.

"The Admiral sure scuttled off though didn't he," one of the Major's subordinates commented, a systems tech by the name of Phoebe.

Maya Nguyen was in charge of the ship and the finalization of docking procedures after a mission. Colonel Quinn was actually in-charge, but he had shared the 24 hour watch with Nguyen as the Admiral, being more a bureaucrat than officer, was able to make leave at once, while the rest of the ship had a mandatory 24 hour lock-down procedure before the crew were able to make leave.

"Knock it off ensign, when you're Admiral you can pretty much do as you please," Maya replied back sharply. Moral was rather low, but not dangerously so.

the Orion (actually the Pegasus from the t.v. series)

They had all been on an extended and arduous 6 month advanced training exercise; being docked with the beautiful watery world of Picon below them, and stuck on lock-down for another 24 hours before a long and well deserved leave took its toll to even the most seasoned of the enlisted. She understood her crews sentiment though, but as an officer in the Fleet, regardless of personal feelings, it was her duty to maintain standards and procedure.

Admiral Ororod did not garner the complete respect of those under him; he had connections, came from a well-to-do family with important political ties, more a bureaucrat with aspirations for a political career than a military career, he ran his detachment more like a business than the military unit it was. He may have been far from the most inspirational of fleet officers, but his politically minded motivations also helped to ensure that the Orion was one of the top training vessels in all the fleet.

"Keep on kissing ass until one day you get your Ass badge," Maya continued with a smirk to lighten the mood within the C.I.C. Numerous chuckles eased the tension, and the crew continued with their preparations.

"What's your plans for leave Major?" asked Captain Maeric. "I've been dreaming of the Atlas Peaks for weeks now, going to do some serious hiking and camping, nothing but nature and quiet time for me after this tour!"

"I hear you there," Maya replied with a smile. She never tired of Maeric's stories, especially after being cooped up in deep space aboard a Battlestar for months on end. His descriptive tales of his adventures exploring the natural wonders of all twelve Colonies were sometimes a blessing. "My little brother just graduated from the Colonial University of Libran, Social Sciences major. He wants to change the worlds you know. Looking forward to some quality time with the family planet side, nothing as exciting as your natural escapades, just good 'ol fashioned R&R."

Cpt. Maeric smiled, a warm and inviting smile that softened his rough- but not unpleasant features. He was a big-boy, having grown up on rugged Ares, he had first served in the Colonial Marines, looked every bit a Marine too: close cropped hair, bulky build with squared shoulders and jaw...for as much as he loved the physical endures of being a Marine, he decided to join the Fleet after his stint with the Marines was up- and fell in love with the stars as much as his love for all things of nature. Now he was Viper pilot, a squadron leader, and a damn fine one at that.

The C.I.C.

"I've finished the report compilations, hopefully all the bugs will get worked out by time we are due to ship out again, this last tour sure was fubar, eh?" he said as he slapped the report file down on the table. They had endured many technical glitches with some of the newer systems being tested aboard the Orion, the ship was to receive an entire over haul while docked, and while they all took a well deserved leave to be overhauled themselves.

At that exact moment, the C.I.C. was rocked as the ship endured a massive explosion. Sparks shot out from multiple terminals, glass shattered and the lights flickered. Many of those serving in the Command Information Center were thrown from their posts or from where they had been standing. Bodies flew with debris as a succession of explosions rocked the ship.

Alarm claxons whaled as emergency lighting flashed an eery amber illumination within the C.I.C.

"My Gods!" Maya gasped as she regained her footing and wiped the blood from her nose. She had taken a pretty good smacking to her face with the first explosion, but she wasn't about to let a little blood and pain keep her from her duty.

Captain Maeric looked at the strewn files for a moment, shocked at the sudden event as he had slapped the file down on th table, almost as if he had somehow caused the event. It only took him a split second to recover. "Frak'n-A we're under attack!"

a battle scene from the t.v. series

"SIT-REP!" Maya bellowed, commanding a situation report. She gazed up at the Draedis array but it was nothing but snow, it offered her no intelligence.

"I've got multiple hull impacts aft and starboard," came a reply. "Definitely not from within...we were hit, systems are all screwed, having a hell of time getting anything from outside!"

"Com! I need to know what the frak is going on! Issue condition one throughout the ship, all quarters battle-stations!" Maya commanded as she turned to Major Maeric. "Get me some eyes in the skies Captain, Draedis is frakked and outside communications seem to be jammed. I need to know what is going on!"

Maeric gave a curt salute and ran off from C.I.C. to get a squad launched as ordered.

Maya turned to one of the Marines stationed at the C.I.C. hatch, "Marine! get Colonel Quinn to C.I.C. now!"

The marine, a young woman with fear in her eyes, nodded and ran out to fulfill her orders, training taking over her fears.

"Somebody tell me something for fraksake!" Maya said out of frustration more than for the lack of her people not being able to do their duties. They had been hit and hard, they were nearly blind and obviously caught unawares.

Cylon Basestar firing on a Colonial Battlestar

Maeric raced down the passage from C.I.C. to the squadron ready rooms, which would lead him to the Viper and Raptor bays. The ship was bustling with personnel like a disturbed hive of bees. They all knew their duties, nobody needed told what to do. They had a lot of raw recruits aboard, but they had some of the most well trained officers in the Fleet to take charge of any situation.

A handful of his pilots were already making for the launch bays. The C.A.G., Major Neesa "Artemis" Joone joined him.

"I was in C.I.C., all systems are frakked, any idea what just happened?" Maeric asked his C.O.

"I've got Nike launching now with Hellcat Squadron," Artemis replied. "Chief's got fire squads aft and starboard, whatever the hells hit us got us with our pants down. You're my wing Ares," Neesa commanded, using his call sign, "I've got Hellcat squad checking aft, Nike's going vertical, you and I are going starboard."

A Viper Mark vii

Both had reached the bay and split apart to their respective Viper fighters.

***

Nike launched out from the Orion's bay, her instrument panels were fuzzy, something was screwing with her systems. The Raptor was a specially designed and outfitted craft for intelligence gathering, it's systems were some of the most advanced in military craft but seemed worthless at the moment. She pounded her fists on the panel, cursing the Gods.

"I really don't think that's gonna help L.T." her co-pilot chided to his Lieutenant from the systems command consol behind the cockpit.

"Shut it up Glimmer," she said irritably as they were about to clear the hangar for space. "When I want your opinion I will tell you what it is."

The blue and white marbled orb of the world of Picon filled her viewport. The Orion was docked on the outside rung of docking stations that orbited the world. A sharp turn right and vertical would clear them of the Orion and the docking station for a birds-eye view of their surroundings.

Her systems were still garbled, patchy communications came intermittently. "C.I.C. this is Nike, do you copy?" she tried her comm, hoping that direct communications line with Orion wouldn't be a screwed as the rest of the Fleet wide bans. She couldn't very well do her job if she couldn't communicate to the Orion or her squadrons.

nuclear attack on the Colonies

"Oh for fraksake!" Nike cursed with a startling and uncharacteristic fear behind her words.

His systems array as much a mess as hers, Glimmer unbuckled and took two steps forward to see out the ship, and for once in his in being paired with Nike, he was speechless.

***

Maeric and Joone, call signs Ares and Artemis, both launched from the bay. Their sleek Mark VII Vipers shooting out from the belly of the massive Orion. They curved starboard in unison, as Nike and her Raptor headed for a higher vantage from the opposite side of the ship.

"Ares, CAG, you copy?" Neesa asked over the channel that was broad-casted between the squads and to the C.I.C.

"Copy CAG, Ares loud and clear. Orion?" Maeric asked. "You copy C.I.C.?"

Major Nguyen's voice came through clearly, "Copy that, what the frak do you see?"

Nike's message came in clear, as did her exclamation; "Oh for fraksake!"

Before either C.I.C. or Artemis could reply, she and her wingman, Ares, were of position forward of the Orion.

another battle scene from the BSG t.v. series

It was carnage. The entire docking platform was spewing debris, air, smoke, bodies, and explosions erupted from all over the platform and from over a dozen ships docked. Above the horrific view were the trails of incoming missiles, and the looming star shaped forms of their aggressors.

"Cylons," Neesa stated calmly and coolly amidst the destruction. She was often referred to as the Ice Queen, for she was rather cold and methodical, she cared not for the pretentiousness of emotions.

A well trained and season Marine, let alone Viper jock, even Maeric felt a chill down his spine as Neesa said Cylons over the comm. No hint of emotion, not even surprise, not even the barest spit of fear colored her word.

Neesa just stared out into space, taking in the view. She was mesmerized by the form of the Basestars, like sleek and monstrous starfish, the streaking plumes of hundreds of missiles, the explosions all about her...a symphony of destruction. Something in her found the terrible site to be satisfying.

"Artemis?" Maeric called. "Major!" Again with no response. "Neesa, for fraksake!"

A Raptor vessel

Nike's frantic but well trained voice took over the channel, "Uh we have multiple incomings, I've only got a visual, all systems are frakked, something is jamming us pretty damn good. I'm seeing maybe five enemy craft, big frakkers too, never seen anything like them, but they kinda resemble the old Basestars, who the frak-else would be attacking us?!"

Glimmer continued the situation report, "Orion the whole frakkin platform is taking heavy hits, got multiple friendlies under fire, get out of docking now!"

Lieutenant Guy "Phoenix" Darson came in on the channel, he was in command of the Hellcat squadron. "Phoenix here, we have incoming enemy fighters, moving in to engage. All Viper's follow my lead!"

Cylon Raider

Ghost Writing for a Living

2010-10-06T12:41:00.000-04:00

Ghost Writing for a Living

What Koalas do When it is Hot

2010-10-05T01:35:00.000-04:00

What Koalas do When it is Hot

Ghost Meringue and, Gingerbread men skeletons....Oh yum!

2010-10-03T16:17:00.000-04:00

When I first cam across this recipe I though that it was a really good idea and I hope that you will like them too.

Ghost Meringues

Ingredients

100g caster sugar

75g icing sugar

3 large eggs whites

silver balls to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 130C/110C Fan/ Gas 1. Mix the caster and icing sugar together. Put the 3 egg whites in a bowl and whisk until they form stiff glossy peaks. Add the sugar mix one spoonful at a time, whisking until stiff again between each addition. Spoon the mixture into a freezer bag and cut off one of the corners to make a hole. Line two baking trays with baking paper and pipe the meringue to make blobs with peaks at the top. Make eyes with silver balls and bake in the oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Gingerbread men skeletons

Ingredients

350g plain flour
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 level tsp ground ginger
½ level tsp ground cinnamon
½ level tsp mixed spice
125g butter, chilled
175g light soft brown sugar
4tbsp golden syrup
1 medium egg, lightly beaten

White Piping Icing, to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Sift the first five ingredients |into a bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, golden syrup and egg to make a stiff dough.
Roll out on a floured surface to slightly thicker than a pound coin. Cut into gingerbread men and put on the trays.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, allow to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Pipe on the white icing to make faces and bones.

Employee & Employer: A Relationship

2010-10-03T12:41:00.000-04:00

As a working stiff I am sometimes all too often discouraged by the relationship between the employee and the employer. After some time being a common Joe holding down an hourly paid job, and after my fair share of working in a number of fields, I began to see and believe that I wasn't just working a job, but that I was a part of the business as a whole. I liked that ideal, and it served to inspire me to do more than just the minimum required of me. I felt both empowered and obligated to try and do more in my work, to help in the success of those I worked for, and with the realization that I was helping myself to succeed further at the same time. It was a relationship of give and take, and it still is, but more and more it seems those on the lower rungs of this network are treated for less than they are, for less than what they are bringing to the business they are working for. I feel this often, and it is increasingly demeaning and unsatisfying. I know I am not alone.

A poll posting on CBSNews.com shows just 45% of the American workforce are happy with their job, that's less than half! What a huge number. The polling covered many questions like commuting, health care coverage, opportunity for growth and advancement, and even whether or not they liked their boss/bosses. 51% say they are satisfied with their boss. That's down from 55 % in 2008 and around 60 % two decades ago.

The economy has a lot to do with these sentiments of course, but it has also been a long time coming. Right now business in America is having to rethink and reshape itself to push through these hard times, and for the most part it seems this reshaping and rethinking has most to do with how to market and maintain profit; after all, the reason so many are out of work is because companies need to cut costs to maintain profit, only adding more fuel to the fire of the recession.

I never really knew before, but by law a company is protected and enjoys the same rights as an individual. So when we think about the relationship between employees, and those who run a business, which is often more than a single person, it isn't just about a worker and business, again it is a relationship.

Like all relationships there has to be mutual respect and there has to be compromise, for that relationship to succeed and grow and be sustained. Unfortunately that's not always the case between the employee and employer, it seems to me to be quite one-sided too often. This is where unions came into being, to protect the workers, because business in general was acting like a lord of the land, and its employees the surfs. I am a proponent for unions, but like most other things in the world even it is susceptible to failings.

It seems to me that in rethinking business strategy for the times, more thought would be put into the relationship between employee and employer. Now, I am sure there are plenty of businesses and bosses out there who have, and are a model for my perspective, but again only 45% of America is saying that they like their job.

In my own experiences, from which I draw upon for these perspective pieces far more than polls or wikki-research, the employer to me is most often like that needy and selfish girlfriend or boyfriend we have probably all experienced in life. To them the relationship is all about what they are getting out of it, and I too realize that are more than the fair share of employees who are of the same mindset. Its always a two-way street.

I have worked under management and owners who seem to stylize themselves like a dictator, because they are in charge, calling the shots, having power over others. I've never understood the thought process of these individuals, why they think it's okay and productive to act as if they rule over others in the workplace? Of course they have a job themselves to do, and if the boss is the business owner, they have a lot riding on the success of the business, but that doesn't excuse them to treat those under them as less than who they are, Humans firstly, and a part of the success of the business.

I've often joked about organizing a walk out, so that for once and for all, those kinds of employers can stand there with their jaw to the floor, and I can ask, "What are you the manager of now? Go bark to the broom and see how well it listens. Shake your fist at the computer and see how well it works for you. Since we are not so important and valued, we are just going to go home and let things run themselves..." It would be a great sight. I envy those in unions, that can protest in such ways. The power of many over the one. As an individual I cannot just walk off and protest; I would just be fired and replaced, and the message would be moot. And I don't just make a complaint and point the finger away myself; I take responsibility for myself and my position.

To end that cycle, I believe that employers must rethink the way they manage those who work for the success of the business. Employers are not just managing people and a business for the making of profit, it is part of their duty to instill interest and value in the workplace, to promote positivity rather than the negativity of do this or I will replace you. They are supposed to foster their staff to encourage productivity rather than just expectation. In a lot of ways it is like parenting, where you are nurturing for the good, for the future. It is a relationship, both sides have to come to terms, not just one.

George R.R. Martin: A Song of Ice & Fire

2010-10-03T00:15:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I picked up a series of fantasy books called A Song of Ice & Fire, by author George R. R. Martin. The first book is titled A Game of Thrones, and I absolutely fell in love with the series, which has four other titles in its series, and HBO is currently working on a full series of which the first season will be based on the first novel. I've not been this excited about a t.v. series since the Battlestar Galactica series came out on SyFy!

I first discovered the story while browsing a role playing guide for the game based on the books. I was researching various fantasy RPG manuals for some of my fantasy writing, and I really enjoyed the content of it, so I looked for the books, and I have been hooked since.

Other than this series, I have been following Gail Z. Martin's Necromancer series, which is very good, and I have been a fan of R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt, from the Forgotten Realms RPG world. Nothing against Salvatore, but the Drizzt books are very fantasy with much to do of magic, elves, dwaves, and orcs...it is fantasy in every sense. Gails' books are very well written too, great characters, world building, a little more adult than Salvatore's, and with a bit of a vampire and werewolf twist. There great authors, and their stories are worth giving it a try, but I have to say that George's series takes the cakes.

The books are told from various character point of view, rather than the common chapter one, two....and sometimes it jumps a round a little bit, because by telling the story in chapters from the point of view of the characters the timeline overlaps, rewinds, fast forwards a bit. No problems keeping up though, it isn't at all as confusing as it sounds. It actually makes for a very interesting read.

Another positive point of the series is that while it is a fantasy book, in a fantasy land, and there are some paranormal and magical elements of the story, it is largely based on the feudal European history and folklore, it isn't bogged down by a bunch of elvs, dwarves, and mighty sorcerors. What it does have is great court intrigue, characters who pop out at you, and a vast and rich world of many wonders, mysteries, and woes.

The stories take place largely in a land called Westeros, which was once a land of Seven Kingdoms. It was a feudal land with various kings, lords, all sharing common cultural traits and unique aspects. The ruling class are the noble Houses. Far off to the east on an island kingdom there ruled the House Targaryen, and they unlike any others, bred and commanded mighty dragons. They conquered the Seven Kingdoms and ruled fr many generations. The Targaryens grew decadent and corrupt, their dragons died out, and their power waned. A tragic series of events unfolded which led to a coalition of Houses to untie against them and retake their lands. The first book, A Game of Thrones, weaves many plots to that which the title sums the story- a great power struggle for the future of all the land as the kingdom is threatened to be fractured. There are numerous plots of betrayal, secrecy, court intrigue, and of the supernatural. I don't wish to divulge to much, in case one decides to give this book and the series a go, because in reading things unfold and plots thicken to a degree that it is such an entertaining treat to have spoiled here.

They are an amazing series with such great characters and intricate plots, that I would compare it to the works of Tolkien, to a degree. The way it has been written with such richness and mirroring of feudal European culture and folklore, but without the heavy fantasy elements and difficult to pronounce names and languages that even those who have never card for fantasy may well find a jewel here. It truly wouldn't surprise me if these books found themselves in literary studies in high school or college programs one day, as have been Tolkiens'.

Here are a few links to the HBO teaser trailer for the upcoming series. I would highly recommend reading the first book before watching the first season when it comes out, you will appreciate the HBO series all the more:

And this link offers a video on HBO with commentary on the series: HBO: WINTER IS COMING

The next book of the series: A Dance With Dragons is supposed to be out sometime this fall, and I eagerly await it! Here is an image of its cover:

Halloween

2010-10-02T17:02:00.003-04:00

Its getting around to that time of year again.....Halloween. But don't worry as I have been out and about and have got you some tips on party things, pumpkin carving as well as some recipes for you all to enjoy, which will be my theme running through out October.

First thing is first pumpkin carving

Using a black marker, draw the area you want to cut to create the pumpkin's face.
Carefully cut a disc from the top of the pumpkin with a sharp knife to make a lid.
Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard.
Using a small carving knife, cut along the lines, holding the pumpkin steady with your other hand.
Place a tea-light candle inside and light, then replace the lid.

Warning: NEVER leave a candle un-attended.

Here are a few for you to enjoy

AMERICAN CHOPPER: SR. vs. JR. PART 2

2010-10-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

Sr. vs. Jr. Part 2: Paulie's New Web Bike & the Geico Bike

The bikes look fantastic, as always! Though I have not watched the latest episode, I did a search online with Google to snag a few pictures of the web themed bikes for my next installment in following the new series. I was pleasantly surprised to see finished bikes! Here they are below, I did not get proper credit for the images, but of course they were found online, and the bikes are the creation of Paul Jr. Design and/or O.C.C.

Jr.'s Anti-Venom

Paul Jr. Design's Geico themed bike

Both designs are sick as all get-out, very impressive bikes to kick off Paulie's business and show to Senior that Paulie can too build bikes!

The Anti-Venom bike is just beautiful, a great compliment to the previous web-themed designs from O.C.C., bikes that Paulie is very proud of and have garnered quite a following of. His new shop started off pretty rocky: not having all his equipment, power issues, the unfortunate and tragic death of a non-shop worker, staffing issues, and having not been able to get a paying build...until Geico came along. So Paulie did the right thing, he started a bike build. Not a bike build for a client, but a personal build for himself and his crew to break in the new team and begin a new chapter in Junior's life.

He had decided on another web themed bike, which both I and Vinnie seemed leery of at first. It's already been done at O.C.C. and by Paulie. I first thought, "Nooooooo..." It should have been a completely new concept to incarnate Paulie's separation from O.C.C. and being his own Man. Don't get me wrong, I loved the web bikes, especially the Spiderman bike, but I just shook my head at this idea of an Anti-Venom bike. However, as it started to unfold, I slowly changed my mind. It was starting to prove to be a design that could stand on it's own; while being reminiscent of the past, it was-and-is an embodiment of moving forward.

Spiderman theme bike: O.C.C.

web themed bike: O.C.C.

I was very excited and enthusiastic for the team of Paul Jr. Designs to acquire the Geico build. It was what the business needed, both Paulie and his team. And the finished bike is just phenomenal, a testimony to Paulie's design skill and the passion of his friends who have joined him- as well as proof to Senior that Paulie has what it takes to build quality custom bikes in his own right. Not having sen the latest episode, nor reading anything of it, I still don't know if they were completed in time for the unveiling at Sturgis, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were, and I look forward to seeing what transpired and what else this saga unfolds in the future.

As I follow this series, I have great hopes and respect for Paulie as he builds his own business, but too I hope he and his father may find solutions to their personal troubles, because business is business, but family is family. On a personal level, I haven't always had the best of relations with my parents, or my siblings for that matter, but I recently lost my father and it has been hard. I am happy for the time I had with him prior to his passing, but it still pains me to think of the time lost...because in life we can think we have all the time in world but then something like a loved one passing just proves that time is too short.

Searching the Stars

2010-10-01T23:17:00.000-04:00

by Lynette Cook, National Science Foundation

Mankind has always looked to the stars and wondered what was out there. The ancient Greeks and Romans created the constellations, and many early cultures believed the night sky with all its shiny stars and wonders seen by the naked eye was in in-fact heaven. Then came the astronomical visionaries like Galileo and Copernicus whose study of the stars and planets challenged all we believed and showed us that we are but one bright spot among the untold many...we went to the moon, and have landed rovers on Mars...

In 1947 some believe an alien craft crashed in Roswell, NM, and for many generations we have wondered if we were alone in the universe or not. And in 1994 SETI, the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence was established to search space for signs of life. In recent years many in the scientific community have been searching for other worlds, and in the past 10 years astronomers have found about 150 extra-solar worlds, in hopes of finding that one miracle planet that could be like our Earth and support some form of life, if not a culture of E.T.'s.

Astronomers have been searching for Earth like worlds in what is known as the Goldilocks Zone, a space not too far, not too close, in orbit around a star like our own Sun, that would provide a comparable climate and support liquid water, which is the foundation for life as we know it.

I have a great wonder for the universe, and I would love to travel space and visit a new world, even meet other beings. I have long had a passion for science-fiction, and have even thought that I was born years and even decades- if not centuries, too early. With all the wonders and problems of our own world and lives, I wonder why so much thought and wonder is put into the study and search of the universe.

Today I read an article online from Yahoo! News that scientists have found a relatively close planet that should be in this sought after Goldilocks Zone, the first world that has the best potential for having life. What a wonder...

I can't help but to both be amazed, hopeful, in wonder, and yet scoff at the idea of finding a habitable world, or making first contact with another culture not of our world. I'm not a Roswell-crazy, but I truly believe there are other cultures out there, and that have and still do visit Earth. I don't know about any of these alien-conspiracy theories, or stuff from the X-Files, but I am sure they are out there, and have visited us. The universe is just too big, and it would be such a waste of space if we were alone. But how can we search for a new planet, or to make contact with another celestial culture when we do not even take care of our own world and people?

Were it that we found a planet ripe for exploration and colonization, would we pillage it of its natural resources and pollute its beauty as we have our own world? Were it that sentient life on this world was of a lesser advancement in technology and culture in comparison to ours, would we evict and steal the world from them as we have of the Native Americans from the time of Spanish Conquistadors to the Cherokee Tribe's great Trail of Tears? What right would we have? And if we could make friends of an alien culture like our own or more advanced, how could we communicate and make peaceful relations with them, when we cannot even agree amongst our own many different cultures and nationalities?

In our world we practice prejudice and racism based on beliefs of faith to the mere color of skin. What aliens would we find friendly or enemies? Are little green men okay? But the Grays we would turn away? If these beings worshiped unlike the faiths we know, would we consider them heretics? And make war?

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

2010-10-01T10:20:00.000-04:00

IMMIGRATION issues have long spawned many a debate here in the U.S. Personally I have no objections to immigration, I only object to illegals taking up American jobs and bleeding our social infrastructure- especially during these times of great economic struggle.

I understand the concerns Hispanic-Americans have in regards to the laws Arizona has set forth in an attempt to secure the border and thwart continued illegal immigration, but I feel too that like with any law of this land, people are trying to take advantage and hide behind the law. I can empathize with any people desiring to live and work in this great nation, and I too can empathize and value their determination to rise above their struggles and the limited opportunities they may face in their homelands, and while this nation was founded by European colonization and the great influx of immigrants of which our families are derived from, we have laws that they must abide by, laws that protect this nation from being abused and taken advantage of from within.

The topic of racial profiling in Arizona is rather tricky; yes, it is a shame and should be illegal to have your citizenship questioned by the authorities because of the color of your skin, but when you have illegals here who look like any other Hispanic-American citizen, what do you do to uphold the laws of immigration and protect the same economy and jobs, rights and safeties of this land that ALL Americans enjoy by right of birth and law of the land. Were it that I had to have my I.D. checked and questioned if I was a legal citizen because we had a serious issue with Canadian immigration I would not cry foul. I would do my duty as a Patriot, and proudly proclaim and prove my right to be here, rather than be a hindrance to the authorities and the progress of making this land safe and prosperous.

I think it is a shame that in this country so many twist and abuse the laws of the lands for their own gain- right from the top of power in this nation on down to the common. Our Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves with disgust as to how this nation has been heading, how the laws and rights they founded for us have been trampled and spit upon.

Life is not always easy, and in this land of equal opportunity life isn't always fair either. We were never guaranteed to have the same successes as the next guy, but we have always been guaranteed that their exists the equal opportunity. The founders of this nation saw to it to create and protect a society where Americans had the right for opportunity, and many over the ages have put their lives on the line, sacrificed, bleed, and died for the rights and opportunities we have today. I don't have to put my life or way of life on the line for my freedoms as so many others have, but if in the very least I had to sacrifice my pride to help ensure the integrity of this nation and the future of this nation, I'd gladly do so.

Home-made beef burgers

2010-09-30T22:30:00.000-04:00

For my first recipe post I thought I would start off with something easy and simple and everyone loves burgers so here is my recipe for Home-made beef burgers

Ingredients

1 Shallot

olive oil

500g Beef mince

1tsp worcester sauce

2tsp dry mixed herbs

Method

Soften 1 shallot in 2tsp olive oil in a small pan.
Tip into a large bowl and cool. Add the Mince, the Worcester sauce and the Dried Mixed Herbs. Season well, then shape the mixture into four burgers.
Heat a nonstick frying pan or griddle and grease lightly. Cook the burgers for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Serve in Italian Style Ciabatta Rolls with mayonnaise, Hamburger Relish and salad of your choice.

If you want a recipe or want some ideas for a special occasion leave a comment and I'll post them up for you.

I hope you enjoy making and eating these as I have.

The New Girl

2010-09-29T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hi just a quick post to introduce myself.

I'm new here and I will be reviewing different products each week and give you the top 5 of the best products in that catagory each week. I will also be post recipes for you to try at home.

I am Lissa, I am 21 years old and ive near Brighton, England. I am married and i love cooking, gadgets, camping, outdoor activities, music, archery, crafts, design, drawing, reading and of course blogging.

If anyone has any recipes or gadgets or products that they wish to get someones advice on or to try something new the feel free to commnet on my posts and I will be more than happy to help.

Bye for now

Lissa

My Ideas Writing for Speculative Fiction/Alternative History Genre

2010-09-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

One of my many writing ideas falls under the Speculative Fiction category, particularly the Alternative History genre. In the field of writing, and the arts in general, original ideas are important to find your niche and reader base. I learned early on, in my quest to become an artist, that there is a blurry and tricky line to originality and plagiarism. In both my art classes and creative writing classes I was taught that there is a practice called artistic licence. What this basically means is that an artist can use various types of works or ideas from others, but change things to create a unique work. The same applies to the alternative history genre of writing, whereby an author is using the factual real-world events or timelines and persons, but changes the course of history as we know it, to create an alternate universe of their creation.

An idea I have been fleshing out involves time travel, alternate realities, and corporate global take over. My inspiration comes greatly from the movies Timeline and Time Cop, and from watching an episode on the t.v. show the Universe, which talked about a branch of science called string theory.

The movie Timeline, based on the novel by Crichton, was about archaeologists on a site from the middle ages who discovers one of their own has vanished. Strangely they discover his eye-glasses and a note which carbon dates to the middle ages, but how-in-the-world could it have gotten there? Turns out a supporter of the dig is a company that has been working on time travel. The story sees the characters traveling back in time to see and experience the lives and the events surrounding the importance of the dig, with great thought to not changing history, or being stuck in the past.

Time Cop is a lot more sci-fi-ish, dealing with a police order who gos back in time to stop criminals who have traveled back to take advantage of particular eras to get rich or try and change history. There is involved a corporation who wants to exclusively own the rights and use of time travel, and some crooked up-and-coming politician. The basic premise here is changing history for the greed of power and money in corporate and government politics.

String theory says that you cannot actually change our own time by going back and making changes. It is based on the theory that there exists multiple and alternative universes of our own world. Basically everything we do sets in motion the future, and to have done things differently creates an alternative and parallel world. For instance, if we could go back in time and somehow not have voted for Obama, and came back home to our own time, Obama would still be the President, but in that past time-world we visited to prevent his election, he is not the President, and a new alternative world was created and is being lived out in sync with ours. Supposedly there are near infinite strings alongside our own world-reality, ever splintering as we make day-to-day choices and think, what if ?

In the comic book world there has been a whole series of What If? alternate realities. In shows like Stargate the heroes have often visited alternate realities where things are either for the better or worse...it is a pretty interesting and complex concept- time travel and alternate histories.

Without title, fleshed out characters, or even a true outline for the making of a story, I have been toying with these concepts for such a book. My take on it involves the research and development for the means of time travel some years back, and unbeknown to the public, people have been going back in time for decades. It is discovered through these experiments, that time never changes here for us, no matter where we go or what we do, things still remain the same here. Unfortunately for other alternative worlds we visit, things change a lot, and higher-powers with less than altruistic motives have been using time-travel and these alternate worlds as their personal playgrounds.

Imagine a corporation, government, or multiple entities, with the power of time travel; and though our world is relatively safe from having our histories and lives changed when we wake up one morning (but never realize it), what would be the ethical ramifications of changing history and the lives of our alternative selves? Though we could not change our own world by going back in time, what if we could go back and set into motion certain events to study the outcome, and apply those findings to our own world? Could we go back knowing when, how, why the economy became as it was, and make changes to see if it fixes our problems as they are, like a lab test with multiple rats and a control group, other alternate worlds could be our own testing lab. Are these "other" people even really real? Is it akin to playing God? If it saves lives and makes our world for the better, does it make it right, being that these alternative time lines and people are really us? I don't know, but I'd like to explore the idea.

Imagine too, being able to go back in time as a historian or archaeologist to see first hand how things really were, imagine what we could learn. I could also envision some sort of tourism in time travel; how much would people pay to visit other eras, experience past cultures, live as a king or general in a war? After all anything is possible.

So I'm thinking for my story, a corporation and/or the government is using this technology to test advancement of products and technologies, and to "time-test" the changing of events for use back here in our own "ground-zero" world. It has been a secret for many years, but some how the technology and practices has been leaked to a select group of individuals, and it is threatened to be divulged to the public. "They" wouldn't want to allow that! I toy with ideas of a very selective and wealthy group who offer time-travel journey licenses for small fortunes, by which groups and individuals can act out, in real life, but in an alternate reality, being a conquering king, a victorious general in war, or some savvy financier who bankrupts an entire nation or even the world to apply financial theories as to how to make trillions in our own world. I too think of a group of people, who with knowledge of this technology and the practices, also go back in time to apprehend these meddlers of time, and who fight for the cause of justice for the poor people who are victims of our own worlds lusts for power and riches.

CABLE WOES

2010-09-29T08:41:00.002-04:00

My cable and internet service provider is Comcast and over the past year I have had nothing but problems with various aspects of my service/equipment...

First it was the constant disconnection of the internet. We have one PC connected to the modem, a wireless device connected to the modem, and I use my laptop which connects via the wireless modem device. It seemed every week there was connection issues and finally it came down to just having a bad modem; apparently it was a used one and we were offered a newer model by the tech. It has been right as rain since...the internet anyway.

The cable service? Not so much...

I don't know if it is standard with these cable boxes, but if they are unplugged for a length of time they have to be remotely reset, and more often than not a tech must come out to check the box and reestablish connectivity. I should know, they are nearly on a first name basis here with me.

The real issues started when we realized that we were being charged for a DVR/HD box as part of our subscription service...I didn't know much about using a DVR and as far as HD, having an HD t.v. I tried to view the HD channels but all I got was sound. HD sound I guess...and I repeatedly pressed the DVR button on my remote with no luck.

So I call tech support, and they tried this and that over the phone...stumped...then we checked the box numbers and found the issue. We did not have a DVR/HD box in the house, but according to Comcast we did, and were being charged. Bummer.

I disconnected the box and took it in to trade for what I needed and had been paying for. For sure, it was a shiny silver box...took it home, hooked it up...booo, nothing...call tech support...nothing...had to schedule a service visit.

Come to find out too, the lady at the shop hadn't input the correct box number, so it wasn't making the connection. I feel like someone out there was watching my channels then. Damn them.

The tech guy was really helpful, I was pleased with his service and help. He checked the outside lines and connections, as well as inside. We have multiple splits, some in use, some not, and he explained that the splits cause "bleeds" in the service feeds, and he showed that we were supposed to be getting "x" amount of cable power and were not. He also divulged that it was a recurring issues with neighbors, part our fault for the splits, part the cable providers because there were issues with the outside boxes that he was resolving. So he cleaned up our lines, cosing off useless lines and reconnecting the multiple lines we wanted for use in various rooms of the house.

Hooray for cable, and HD, and DVR!

All was good in cable land for a time...until we decided to move things around in various rooms and disconnect boxes for a new t.v. or switching out a t.v. from one room to the other. Again we lost the connection, the folks on the other end of the phone tried their magic, but no...a tech must come out again. At least we were not charged for them to come out, that would have been a whole other story, believe you me.

Well here I am today...times are a little rough and we are trying to cut down costs. We have taken back the DVR box and scaled down our cable subscription. Having disconnected boxes and reconnected boxes...you can see where this is going.

Still waiting on the tech guy to come by this morning. No Robin Meade and my morning dose of HLN today.

Thoughts From Me

2010-09-28T16:25:00.000-04:00

For my first official posting here with these wonderful people, I thought I would introduce myself and share some of what I am all about, as well as the kind of content I have an interest of sharing. All while I am scarfing my Aunt Ethel's most deeee-lish stuffed pepper mix, MmMmMm...

I am 34 and have grown up all over the U.S. east of the Mississippi from Michigan to Florida, currently residing in S.W. Mi. I have had many wonderful and trying life experiences, to say that I have been around the block is more than an understatement. I have many experiences and interests to draw upon and grow forth from; I love to share my thoughts and ideas, I like my perspective to be understood, but I never force my opinions and way of life onto others. I have long had a passion for writing, reading, drawing, traveling, and so many things in-between. I both embrace and curse the Internet within my life.

I joined Facebook just over a year ago, while I have been on various social-chat sites and Yahoo! group sites based on my interests, I had never really cared for Internet social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. However, after joining Facebook many wonderful-though-often-time-consuming possibilities began to take fruit. I am generally rather a home-body, very selective in the social circles and events I participate in, so with Fb I am able to communicate with friends and family more frequently than before, and have come to acquire a broad and varied range of friends of many backgrounds and personal interests.

I've started a blog site here and there, but with limited following and follow through. I have a broad range of interests to share and Fb has really helped me to find fellowship in my many endeavors. As I start to contribute here with Snail Mail Pals, a connection made via Fb, I also have a few groups or pages on Fb that I have started to share with friends, family and the world.

I think I have a better than average skill with the written word, but I also know that I have a lot more to learn and practice. My thoughts often ramble and my fingers seem to have a mind all their own.

As far as writing, and blogging, I have many different interests: sharing my love of certain t.v. shows, movies, books, history, culture, travel, fan-fiction, current events, politics, cooking, hobbies, and just the random thought.

On Fb I have started a group called the Vicarious Vagabond Project 2010 to combine my interest in world travel, culture, and blogging. I have invited all my Fb friends to join and for them to pass it along to all their friends and family as well, in hopes of achieving a million members to help support the endeavor in all the different ways they may. In a nutshell the ideology behind the Project is to garner financial and other support to fund a year long journey of world travel, where I would blog back to the world via Facebook on my travels, reporting on all things cultural, and hopefully helping to spread more understanding of different cultures.

I have joined a really special group of Facebookers who share and collect postcards from all over the world. I have started to collect and share cards with many new and interesting friends via I Love Postcards :) on Fb. It is a lot of fun, and always a pleasant surprise to receive a postcard in the mail now and again.

I have long enjoyed writing and sharing fan-fiction ideas with others, and have started my own Fb page for sharing fan-fiction stories, called FB FAN-FIX with G.J. Lentz. I sometimes get rather stuck in what I consider my professional writing, so as a way to keep the words and ideas flowing, I thought a Fb page for the casual fan-fiction short story would be fun, and have invited everyone I know to join and share whatever genre they have interests in.

I don't know that I will ever have the skill or talent to be a successful writer, but I have a dream of being published one day. I try to take time each day to work out different ideas- be it a paragraph or two from some random inspiration, an outline for those ideas to be worked out into a full fledged story, or random scenario writing as the muse teases me along new paths. I actually wouldn't mind at all making a living as a ghostwriter, to sell my works or ideas for someone else to use. I'm not really concerned about fame so much as I am fortune!

So here I am, after having joined the group from Fb, and seeing the call for all writers to take up the cause of the Blog! I thought cool! I can do this! Through Fb Notes I wrote a little something in regards to American Chopper: Sr. vs. Jr., as an answer to one of the topics being sought. I look forward to exploring this group more, reading and sharing my ideas, and making new friends!

Gregory on Facebook
Facebook Fan-Fiction w/ G.J. Lentz
Gregory's Vicarious Vagabond Project 2010 on Facebook

I ♥ Etsy!

2010-09-28T13:56:00.000-04:00

I love shopping on Etsy and every now and then I find really wonderful stationery, cards and stickers to buy! I enjoy unique cards and the like and cannot get enough of the Etsy shops out there! Here are a few I found today that you might enjoy:

Winter themed note card set from puddlejumpincards...

Charles Dickens Cards Set by fourelephants...

Post Vintage Sticker and Envelope Set from WonderlandRoom....

Rainbow Bike Parade Recycled Paper Card Set by thecraftpantry...

Perfect for embellishing handmade cards or for scrapbooking,

Multicolor Mini Paper Flower set by DragonflyExpression...

With so many vendors, Etsy is more than a fleamarket and even more than a public market, it is brilliant and easy to access! Check these and other vendors out by clicking the links and start finding great things to add to your collection!

Cheers!

Paper, Paper, Paper!

2010-09-26T18:06:00.000-04:00

Greetings to all! My name is Nadia and I am a new contributor to this fabulous blog. Being that this is a snail mail blog I thought I would write to you about one of my favorite topics: Finding the right paper to write on! I love sending and receiving mail just as much as all of you and am always in hot pursuit of the best paper to send on its merry way to the awaiting recipient. Not long ago this year I came across {papermash} uk through a blog I read called {frolic!}. I fell in love with {papermash}'s gorgeous note cards and things! They've got so much beautiful merchandise, so many wonderful things for the snail mailer...just check these out:

Paris Polaroid Postcards....

Scalloped note cards...

Memorabilia notebook...

And so very much more! They have all sorts of wonderful embellishments and notebooks for anything you could possibly think of! Go ahead, click on the link and check them out!

Cheers!

Back to School Time!

2010-09-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

About a month ago, my son went back to school! He's in preschool again this year and loves it. He seems to be doing better than last year. He knows what to expect and already used to the routine of going to school. Last year he was in the special education class and had the same teacher as last year. However, now he's going to be in the other preschool classroom that has more students. This class also has more boys in it and most (if not all) the students talk! My son needs this exposure to more students and be able to observe and listen to other kids his age talking! I am really excited and hope that he will be more verbal and use words instead of whining.

Do you have children? Are they enjoying school? How was the back to school shopping? Were you prepared for them to go back to school?

Our back to school shopping wasn't too difficult. He had the backpack from last year and that's about all he needed for supplies. He did need more clothes for school as his school requires uniforms. I wanted to have more pants and shirts on hand for him. We now have new polo shirts and pants that he wears to school. He wears his school clothes 24/7 because he is picky with clothes that he wears. We do not have any pajamas for him as it saves time getting him ready in the morning with changing clothes. If he's in clothes that he likes, he won't want to change into new clothes. I'd rather avoid a tantrum/whining fest if at all possible.

Do you have a back to school story to share?

Creative cards!!!

2010-09-25T10:45:00.000-04:00

Corresponding is not simply writing letters, it is about bonding with the other person, being there for their special moments in life, sharing your life with your penpal. What a better way to do so than keeping tap of your friends’ special days with wonderful cards. What about handmade cards? If you are too busy to do them yourself you can simply order them. For example, you can visit etsy.com and find the seller mrsvaught, who is selling wonderful cards. Here’s the link to her site:

MrsVaught's Etsy Shop (click here)

If you are more of the creative types, then you can just look around and get some ideas to make your correspondence cute and welcoming, just like MrsVaught’s cards. Hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

By Raia Alexieva
Sandbook
This article is posted here with permission

Kayla's Handmade Letter Writing Sets

2010-09-25T10:37:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for out-of the ordinary letter sets and envelopes, then perhaps you are already very familiar with the designs offered by Kayla at her Facebook Group: Kayla's Handmade Letter Writing Sets Stationery

Her idea about setting up the Facebook group begins with her own experience as a penpal and swapper just like all of us. Most of the shops out there that offer lettersets are theme specific but also quite popular and widely seen. However, if you a member of the small but very vivid group of penpals that prefer to have your own and very unique set of stationary, checking out Kayla's designs will be the right thing to do! She offers you the chance not only to customize your own stationary, but also provides quite diverse pre-made designs – you’re your favorite TV series and actors through stationary that are movie specific to the usual cartoon characters that you always wanted to have. I just randomly picked few of her designs that I personally love. As you can see my top 3 would be from the TV screen: Twilight design and True Blood (Yeah, vampires are very popular these days!) and lastly but not least the supernatural David Borreneaz in Angel. They are super cute and on very reasonable prices. I would say even very cheap prices. The payment is done through paypal or through stamps (you have to ask Kayla about the last option).

By Raia Alexieva
Sandbook
This article is posted here with permission

A Different Site for Job Hunters

2010-04-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

If you are like millions of Americans, you are unemployed and actively looking for jobs! Whether you are applying online through several job search websites, pounding the pavement, or contacting temp agencies, you may have noticed that jobs are scarce.

Have you thought about writing job reviews about your former employers? Here, you are able to write job reviews of companies you have worked for in the past. You can even rate them on the basis of different subjects, such as pay, promotions, etc.

At this free job portal, you can post jobs for free and apply for jobs free! There are also some unique features too. You can apply for up to 50 jobs at once! As an online job search site user, I have never seen an option like this before! Have you?

I was surprised, were you?

2010-04-01T14:41:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, Ricky Martin declares that he is a homosexual. It was surprising for me to read, although I never considered him to be either way. He was and still is good looking, however I never had a crush on him. His sexuality has no affect on me and I don’t see him differently. He is still the same person.

I can’t imagine having to “come out” to the world. I think it is very brave!

Ever since the Ricky Martin came out, his song “Living La Vida Loca” has been stuck in my head.

Skin Care Thoughts

2010-02-23T18:50:00.001-05:00

Do you feel bombarded with the many different options of skin care products available?

This year, I will be entering into my 30s and I have already started using anti-aging products! I started looking into anti-aging products soon after I turned 29! I am currently using a few products and methods to help prevent wrinkles. I treat myself an anti-aging homemade facial mask at least once a week.

What skin care products do you use? Before buying any product, be sure to look at the ingredients list! Read the customer reviews, listen to your friends and other opinions to form your own thoughts about products. In other words, do your homework.

Learning to read crochet patterns

2010-02-14T19:46:00.002-05:00

Want to learn how to read crochet patterns? Check out this great article by Brenda Stratton called Learn to read crochet patterns.

Frugal Old Fashioned Hard Candy

2010-02-14T19:34:00.002-05:00

Frugal Old Fashioned Hard Candy

2 c.s sugar

1/2 c. light Karo syrup

1/2 c. water

Stir over low heat until dissolved. Turn heat to high.

Using a candy thermometer cook until temperature reads 310 F. REMOVE IMMEDIATELY and pour into an 8" greased metal pan. After a few minutes check for firmness and when you can cut and a top imprint holds, start cutting with a knife one way in one inch sections, turn pan and make one inch squares. Continuously cut squares, working fast, until squares are almost cut through to the bottom. Turn out into wax paper, and finish breaking by hand.

Flavorings and Colors (a few drops of food coloring)

1/4 tsp. peppermint oil − green

1/4 tsp. clove oil − yellow

1/4 tsp. cinnamon oil − red

1/4 tsp. lemon oil − yellow

Combine desired color and flavor in the beginning with sugar, syrup, and water.

Arts and Crafts

2010-02-14T19:26:00.001-05:00

Do anyone do any particular Arts or Crafts? If so what kind do you do? Do you sew, draw,crochet, knit? What is your talent? :)

Frugal Sweet Potato Casserole

2010-02-14T19:25:00.001-05:00

Frugal Sweet Potato Casserole

4 medium Sweet potatoes or -- yams (about 2 lb)

1/4 c. Packed brown sugar

1/4 c. Butter

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Can (8 oz) crushed -- pineapple

1 tbsp. Packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. Water

1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground nutmeg

1 1/2 c.s Miniature marshmallows

1/4 c. Chopped pecans

1. Wash sweet potatoes. Prick each 2 or 3 times with fork to allow steam to escape. Arrange in oven at least 1 inch apart. Microwave at HIGH (100%) until fork-tender, 8 to 10 mins. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

2. Peel and slice potatoes. Place in 2-qt. casserole. Add 1/4 c. butter and the salt. Mash until no lumps remain. Combine in pineapple. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 2 minutes. Stir and set aside.

3. Place 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp. butter, the water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in medium bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) until butter is melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after half the time. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Top sweet potato mixture with marshmallows. Microwave at HIGH (100 % until the marshmallows are melted and potatoes are heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T17:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I participated in a Valentine's Day swap and here are the cards I received!

How was your Valentine's Day? Did you exchange cards with anyone?

Your Favorite

2010-02-10T15:59:00.001-05:00

I found myself watching American Idol last night. I still don't consider myself a fan. I was only watching because Lost was a repeat from last week's episode. Are you a fan? How long have you been watching the show? Do you already have a favorite or two this year?

I thought the following were really good:

Card Making?

2010-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am inspired to dabble in homemade card making! A friend of ours made her own birth announcements and they are the cutest! I took a pic of the beautifully handmade card with my webcam to share with all of you:

I found a few card making starter kits but I am looking for suggestions from you! What do you suggest I start with? Remember, I am a rookie, plus I am not that creative!

I figure this would be a great hobby to try, consider I love writing letters! It would be nice to be able to send my pen pals homemade cards too.

Happy Halloween and Happy November

2009-11-01T18:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Halloween and it rained all day and night, however, that did not stop the kids from coming out! What did you do for Halloween? We had a quiet night together. We ordered Chinese food and enjoyed my day off. My husband teased me for ordering so much food! It was nice to have leftovers though.

Can you believe it's November already? My husband's birthday is in 14 days.

I received 2 letters this week! I plan on writing back to them next week on my days off. I have 6 days straight of work until my next day off. Lucky me. I did write one letter today!

6 Letters

2009-10-29T17:51:00.000-04:00

I am so surprised at myself, I feel accomplished! I wrote 6 letters in two days! That may not sound like a lot to you, but it's big for me! I haven't been in the letter writing mood, nor have I had anyone write me in some time. Well, I decided to change that! I started posting around asking for more pen pals and even started a new group on Facebook! The group is growing like crazy! Be sure to stop by and join us! We'd love to have you.

Three of the letters were for pen pals I had earlier this year but had to stop writing to. Another letter was to a pen pal that I owed a letter to. The last two letters were for new pen pals who sent me an intro letter!

Is your mailbox full?

More Pals on the Way?

2009-10-12T11:09:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! The last few days, I have been posting online looking for more pen pals. I am hoping I found some new pals! I wrote a letter today, the first in about a month and a half! Unfortunately I don't get much mail these days, I am hoping that will change.

How is your mailbox?

We're on Facebook!

2009-09-29T08:36:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I am so excited! I just added our blog to Facebook! I also added the widget to the top of our blog.

I am still looking for guest bloggers or guest contributors for this blog! If interested, please leave a comment!

How are your pen pals? Are you having success finding new pen pals?

Baby Dances to Single Ladies

2009-09-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

I saw this video on facebook yesterday. I am so glad someone posted this on youtube so I can share it with all of you. It's cute for about the first minute and a half, after that, you get the point!

Enjoy ~

Been Awhile

2009-09-25T13:33:00.001-04:00

I know it's been awhile since I have posted. I started a part time job, I am now working in retail as a cashier! I am loving it. I am so happy to be working again, it keeps me busy.

As for pen palling, I haven't heard from my pen pals in awhile, but I understand. I am not complaining. I am actually looking for more pen pals. I am waiting for a letter from a new pen pal, and I still looking for more.

What's new with you?

Spoof Video

2009-08-04T16:08:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, a wedding video hit the web and the news! Here's the video:

Well, now there's a spoof "divorce" video of the original, that I had to share! Enjoy!

JK Divorce Entrance Dance @ Yahoo! Video

Here's the article for more info about the above video! Enjoy!

Good News!

2009-08-01T19:50:00.000-04:00

Hey all. I just wanted to share with anyone who reads this blog...

I have a job interview next week for a part time cashier position at Walmart! I am really excited! My husband and I hate not having any money coming in, so this job would be so great for us.

Do you work? If so, what do you do?

What are you up to?

2009-07-31T13:13:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone. I know I haven't posted much on this blog. I was hoping to have guest contributors to blog with me! So far, nobody is interested! I am looking for fellow moms, women, and pen pallers, who love to blog! You would be welcome to blog about anything, not just pen palling.

In the meantime, I have been busy with another blog I just started. Since both my husband and I are not working, I am finding additional ways for us to save money. I have been looking for homemade recipes for beauty and other things, rather than buying expensive remedies at the store. You are welcome to visit my beauty blog! I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Everything else is going okay with us. My son just started speech therapy! I am excited and hope it leads to more for him.

So, what have you been up to? See you in the comments!

Mineral Makeup Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

2009-07-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

We have all seen the commercials for mineral makeup, been tempted to order the product. But did you know, those companies require a club membership to receive their products. Not only that, the products are pricey, at least for my budget! In these hard times, people are cutting back everywhere they can. You don’t have to cut back just to look great!

Attention Ladies: You do not have to break the bank just to look fabulous with mineral makeup!

Did you know mineral makeup is affordable, 100% natural, and good for your skin? Have you heard of Monet Minerals? Monet Minerals is mom owned and has been around since August 2007. Monet Minerals offers monthly sales and specials to help clients save money. Every order includes free samples. This gives you a chance to try new colors and products.

Are you aware of some of the benefits to using mineral makeup? Mineral Makeup does not clog pores or irritate the skin, which makes is essential for sensitive skin. A little product goes a long way, so you won’t end up spending so much in the long run. Mineral Makeup is water resistant, perfect for those who live in humid climates or for those who want to wear makeup while they are working out.

Monet Minerals have 5 or less ingredients in their products. Can you say that about your current makeup? Mineral Makeup does not expire, how great is that?

Mineral Makeup does not settle into lines and wrinkles, like store bought makeup. Mineral Makeup is versatile as well. You can mix the colors, you can wear then wet or dry to enhance your look.

Don’t settle for cheap, give Monet Minerals a try! You won’t be disappointed.

***I've been published, see this article at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/127491_mineral-makeup-doesnt-have-to-cost-a-fortune

Houseplant Care Tips

2009-07-27T10:02:00.001-04:00

Do you have a brown thumb when it comes to houseplants? As a houseplant addict, I have several tips I have learned throughout the years to help others successfully keep your houseplants growing and thriving. Did you know houseplants naturally clean and filter your indoor air? Houseplants bring many benefits including calmness, productivity, and cheer to any room or office they are in. Plants can also help keep you healthy and reduce sick days!

The easiest way to kill a houseplant is over watering. Over watering refers to watering your plants more than the plant needs. With my plants, I try to water once a week or when the soil is dry to the touch. There is no need to water a plant everyday. When you do water your plants, make sure to drain the water from the plant dish, do not let your plants sit in water! Plants do not like having wet feet.

Assess the light your plants are receiving during the day. Are they receiving enough light? If you are unsure, check the tag that your plant came with, it lists what type of light your plant needs and watering instructions. If there is no tag, check online, there are many helpful websites, forums, and resources. Houseplants don’t like direct sunlight. In addiction, be sure to rotate your plants every few days, so they will grow evenly and each side receives sunlight.

Clean your plants. Take a soft cloth or damp paper towel and wipe the leaves of your plants. If you prefer, bathe your plants. Put them in the bathtub and light spray them with water.

I have learned that fertilizer is not required with houseplants. If your plants are receiving plenty of water and sunlight, they should thrive without fertilizer.

I hope my simple tips have helped you with the basics. I truly hope my tips have helped some. I love houseplants and adding new plants to my collection. Good luck to you!

***I've been published, see this article at http://www.bukisa.com/articles/128107_houseplant-care-tips

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-24T11:24:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! How is your summer going so far? We're having a nice relaxing summer! We've had a few barbecues too!

Well, today is my birthday! Is there anyone else out there celebrating a birthday today?

A Sister Group

2009-07-22T12:54:00.001-04:00

Are you a member of our sister group, Pen Pal Mommas on cafemom? If not, you are missing out!

We just added new admins to our group! Two of our wonderful admins are working together and added a whole new forum called Game Room. There is a ton going on in our game room, be sure to stop by! If you enjoy games, you'll love our group!

If you are a member of cafemom, consider joining our group and checking out what we have going on! If you have any suggestions, ideas, comments, or questions, feel free to leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you!

My Birthday

2009-07-20T18:49:00.000-04:00

My birthday is coming up this Friday! I can't believe it's almost here!

I am trying to convince my husband to take me to Chili's, since they are having a 3 course meal for 2 for only $20! What a bargain! Applebees is having something similar but they are only offering 2 courses for $20!

Going Bananas!

2009-07-16T20:35:00.000-04:00

Do you go bananas over trying to open and peel a banana? Why not open a banana like a monkey!!?!

Here is a great video I found tonight. Enjoy! I certainly learned something new. My son loves bananas, now I won't have to struggle just to open a banana!

Abre uma banana como um macaco @ Yahoo! Video

Round 2 of Give Me 5

2009-07-14T18:34:00.000-04:00

Back by POPULAR demand, It's Give Me 5!

It's really simple... if you are looking for pen pals, you'll want to sign up! All you have to do is write to at least 5 people (or more if you want). Once the list is sent out, you can write to ANY 5 people, you can start at the bottom of the list, or the middle, etc. It's up to you!

If you want to sign up, email me your address and email address! I can be reached at info at freebielicious.com. Sign ups will end on July 30th! List will be sent out on July 31st!

Give Me 5

2009-07-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Are you looking for MORE pen pals? If so, sign up for "Give me 5"

It's really simple, if you are looking for pen pals, you'll want to sign up! All you have to do is write to at least 5 people (or more if you want). Once the list is sent out, you can write to ANY 5 people, you can start at the bottom of the list, or the middle, etc. It's up to you!

If you want to sign up, email me your address and email address! I can be reached at info at freebielicious dot com. Sign ups will end on July 10th! List will be sent out on July 11th!

Moderators Needed

2009-05-29T16:11:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! The following groups are needing moderator help! You would be helping us with the following: approve pending messages & members, promoting our group, and welcoming new members!

If interested, join the groups and let us know!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BirthdayTwinsandPals/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LadiesPenPals/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LongLetteredLadies/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurSoldierPenPals/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/truebestfriends/

Going Homemade

2009-05-24T16:47:00.001-04:00

I am always finding ways to save money, especially with the way the economy is. Have you found ways to cut down? Have you started making things at home, rather than go out and buy it in a store? If so, what? I am always looking for things to create at home, to help save money! I am sure our readers would love to hear your ideas!

We've started making our own homemade Arizona Green Tea! It saves us so much money, I am making a new pitcher at least once a day!

We are also going to make our own laundry soap! This sounds fun and I can't wait to see how long one batch will last us!

So, there are my money savers! Share yours!

How is YOUR mailbox?

2009-05-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone! Just stopping in to ask you all...

How is YOUR mailbox? Are you receiving plenty of letters daily/weekly?

What are your other hobbies, besides pen palling?

As for me, I am only receiving freebies and samples that I am signing up for. I would like to get back into pen palling.

I have been busy with other things, however.

I want to hear from you!

2009-05-09T19:35:00.001-04:00

Hello readers! I am looking to get back into pen palling! Yay! However, I need YOUR help! I got this idea from another blogger, and I would love to see how this goes. I am starting a snail mail letter project!

I am looking to receive a letter from you! Email me for my address and I will reply back to your letter as soon as I can. Please keep in mind, I am a full time stay at home mom/work at home mom. I normally write back in about 2 weeks or so. I don't mind type written letters either.

If you are truly interested in writing me, please email me at penpals at freebielicious (.) com! I will post updates here on this blog and let everyone know who I hear from!

Stock Up on Stamps!

2009-05-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

It's time to stock up on stamps if you can! The price of a first class stamp is going up another 2 cents, bringing the cost to 44 cents!

The new price starts on Monday, May 11th!

Your best bet would be to purchase the "forever stamps" this weekend! Forever stamps are just that, whether the price goes up, the stamps are still good to use without additional postage.

Neglected!

2009-05-09T00:01:00.001-04:00

I know I have been neglecting this blog. I've had to put this blog on the back burner to handle my daily life. I am still looking for contributors to this blog, I would love to have other people writing for this blog! If you are interested, please leave a comment!

My in-laws were on vacation this week, and they return home tomorrow. I have had the pleasure of cooking for my family...and I didn't need to call the fire department, the house is still standing!

I still have not returned to pen palling, I really hope to very soon. I have been looking for additional ways to earn money from home. I recently started getting paid to blog! It's been really interesting and fun. I enjoy blogging and reading other blogs.

I recently started a new workout program called Turbo Jam! Have you heard of it? I am having so much fun with it. I hope to see results. Do you workout? What workout programs do you do? Do you go to a gym or workout at home?

My husband and I are both stay at home parents! It's been really great having him at home, he's able to spend time with our son and myself. He is starting college later this month to earn his bachelors degree in Criminal Justice! He's starting as a Junior, so he has 2 more years to complete. After that, he hopes to get into law school!

What is going on with your life? How many pen pals do you have? How many letters do you write a day? Week?

This may make you cry!

2009-04-13T18:41:00.001-04:00

I just saw this story on yahoo and had to share it.

I hope it reminds people not to PREJUDGE a person by the way they look!

I just about cried from reading this story and watching the video. Very inspiring and uplifting!

Be sure to read the article and then watch the video. Click here

Here's the full video ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXX_gMFeWlc

What do you all think?

Love Freebies?

2009-03-31T15:38:00.001-04:00

I just started a new blog and so excited about it.

Please visit: http://freebielicious.com ~ Love freebies, samples, goodies, and money saving tips? Bookmark us and visit often!

Whoopi's Wardrobe

2009-03-21T10:47:00.001-04:00

I have always loved Whoopi Goldberg! She's a great actress and a great role model. She's funny, witty, opinonated, mature, smart, and so much more!

I saw this clip on AOL yesterday and applaud her for speaking out!

I do have to add, I have never liked those type of shows that tell people what they SHOULD be wearing. I wear what I want to wear! I don't care if "the look" is out of season or style. I wear what I have and what I like!

So, what do you all think? Do you agree with the magazine? Why? Do you disagree? why? How would you react if people were telling you how to dress? Share your opinions!

Earn FREE Swag!

2009-03-18T05:37:00.000-04:00

Have you joined SwagBucks yet?! If not, you are missing out.

SwagBucks pays you "swag bucks" for using their search engine. Everytime you search, you have a chance to win bucks ranging from $1 to as much as $10. There is no limit to the amount of bucks you earn!

Join today and start earning!

I have already earned enough to redeem for $15 in Amazon gift cards! I am still earning and can't wait to redeem for more swag!

The Bachelor - Jason Mesnick

2009-03-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

Did you all see The Bachelor last night? Have you read the rumors beforehand? I am surprised that the rumors were true. I had a feeling it would happen but it was even better to watch. I felt bad for Melissa but she wasn't my pick. I liked Molly for the longest time and I even saw her at the end!

Melissa had the right to be upset as she was. I am glad she had a chance to tell Jason off like she did! Here is an article regarding their email conversation.

What are your thoughts?

Displaced

2009-03-01T16:36:00.000-05:00

I am feeling displaced and a little sad lately. We just moved back in with my in-laws and will not be writing letters until we get our own place. But before we get our own place, my husband needs to find a job. We've (well, actually I have) been job hunting like crazy! We hope he gets this job he applied and interviewed for last week. Still waiting to hear from them. In the meantime, I am still looking and applying.

I am really wanting a place to call our own place, our own home. I would love to start writing letters again, but I am choosing to wait until we get moved in. I don't want to confuse and switch up my address with my pen pals.

Right now, I am the only one in my family that is "working." I have a work at home job. I am not getting rich, nor am I claiming to be, but it's money that I am earning! Thankfully, it's deposited directly into our bank account.

In other words, in addition to job hunting for my husband, I am also finding time to work at home. I also do PTC sites to earn a little bit of extra money.

How is everyone else doing out there? I hope you are all having better luck than we are.

Octo Mom

2009-02-20T16:40:00.000-05:00

Okay everyone, what do you all think of Nadya Suleman (aka Octo Mom)?

When I first heard the news that a woman in California gave birth to 8 babies, I was surprised and happy for her. But the a few days later, news broke that this mom already has 6 other kids. So this ONE mom has 14 kids, and she's single and unemployed? Then she denies receiving any kind of financial help from the State, even though she's on food stamps. I am not trying to knock food stamps, we are on food stamps. :o)

I was disgusted when I read she launched her website asking for donations!

I am honestly tired of hearing about this woman. LOL Everyday something new comes out about her and it makes her sound even more crazy.

What do YOU think?

Stamp Prices

2009-02-12T11:20:00.001-05:00

Did you hear the news?

Stamp prices are going up yet AGAIN! I am disappointed, sad, and upset, about this news! I am now really considering quitting pen palling or just write even less than I am now! This is getting ridiculous. It's almost 50 cents to send a letter!

What do you all think about this news? Share your thoughts and opinions!

Saving and Earning Money

2009-02-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

With the current state of our economy, everyone seems to look for extra ways to earn and save money! It doesn't help that so any people are being laid off in record numbers.

I love to find new ways to save, especially with our energy bill. Here's a great article I found, called Making extra money without getting a second job.

I especially like idea #5. I already did one of the things listed HERE. We don't really use my son's room, so I closed off the vent in his room, as well as the vent in the kitchen and dining room.

How do YOU save money? Do you use coupons? Shop sales? Share your secrets!

Filing your Taxes FREE

2009-02-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

TurboTax® Online Free Edition
If you have a simple tax return, TurboTax Free Edition is the easy way to do your taxes and get your maximum tax refund. We have a solution for every tax situation.

***

You can also use I-CAN! E-File for free to complete both your federal and state tax return for FREE. You can also e-file for free and there is no income limit.

You can use I-CAN!® E-file to file your Federal and state return if you lived and worked all year in one of the following states: California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania or Montana. If you lived and worked all year in Alaska, I-CAN!® E-file will add your Permanent Fund Dividend on your federal return.

***

Turbo Taxes totally free edition is also at www.taxfreedom.com

If you use this link, the federal and state will be free. As long as you meet the criteria below.

TurboTax Freedom Edition Qualifying Criteria
To qualify for free federal tax preparation and filing using TurboTax Freedom Edition 2008, you must meet one of the following criteria *

Earned an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for tax year 2008 of $30,000 or less; or
Qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); or
Served Active Duty Military with AGI of $56,000 or less.

To qualify for free state tax preparation and filing using TurboTax Freedom Edition 2008, you must meet both of the following criteria:

You must qualify for free federal tax preparation (above); and
The state(s) must participate in the state FFA.

* subject to change

The 21 states participating in the FFA for tax year 2008 are:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Georgia
Idaho
Iowa
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Vermont
West Virginia

For states not listed above, the charge to prepare and file that state's return is only $9.95 per state using TurboTax Freedom Edition.There is a program limit of 3 states per federal return for all TurboTax web-based products, including TurboTax Freedom Edition. Click here for more information.

FREEBIES 1-31-09

2009-01-31T12:16:00.000-05:00

Beauty & The Beast Audiobook
Add to cart.
Next step.
Enter Info.

Rip Van Winkle Audiobook
Add to cart.
Next step.
Complete.

Horoscope Pendant ~ Offer located at the bottom of the webpage. Be sure to include your sign.
http://www.horoscopessite.com/

Free Necklace w / Heart Charm -Survey - Religous
http://www.crystalcathedral.org/survey/2009_heart/index.php

just like sugar free sample
http://www.amazon-treasures.com/justlikesugar/us_form/free_sample.html

Total® cereal has 100% of the Daily Value of at least 11 vitaminsand minerals in every bowl. Sign up to get a FREE* sample of Total® Cranberry Crunch cereal
http://freesample.totalcereal.com/TotalCranCrunch/Default.aspx

Need a little arm-twisting to convince yourself that Roaring Lion is the only comparable substitute for the industry leader? Want to taste them side-by-side? To order your own Lion's Challenge kit, which includes both a 8.3-ounce can of Red Bull and a 12-ounce can of Roaring Lion Energy Drink, fill out the following form or give us a call at 818-243-8200
http://www.roaringlionenergydrink.com/lions_challenge.htm

Free HeartSafe Aspirin Pill Tote

Looking for Pen Pals?

2009-01-28T09:34:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for more pen pals? Fill this out! This will be posted in the comment section of this blog! Please remember, each question is optional.

Name:

Birthday:

Are you looking for new snail mail or email pals?

How can our readers reach you (email)?

How did you get started in pen palling?

How many letters do you receive (on average) per week?

What do you look for in a pen pal?

Anything you’d like to add?

Write to our Military

2009-01-27T17:39:00.001-05:00

Writing to our military is a great way to boost morale and even brighten your life. Why not cheer someone up on the other side of the world? This is also a great way to make new friends! If you have the time, consider writing to our soldiers!

Here is a great site that lists names and addresses:

http://www.penpalsforsoldiers.org/MilitaryAddresses.php

Things to remember:

It takes 4+ weeks for your letter to reach them
Don't expect a response (right away), they ARE fighting for our FREEDOM
If you don't receive a response, feel free to keep sending your support
Keep your letters positive, light, and friendly
Send newspaper articles, comics, poems, cards, etc
Send a care package

FREEBIES ~ Shining Stars Publications

2009-01-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

These freebies are from the U.S. Department of Education

Shining Stars: Second & Third Graders Learn To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Second & Third Graders Learn To Read

Shining Stars: First Graders Learn To Read: How Parents Can Help Their First Graders Learn To Read

Shining Stars: Kindergartners Learn To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Kindergartners Learn To Read

Shining Stars: Preschoolers Get Ready To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Preschoolers Get Ready To Read

Shining Stars: Toddlers Get Ready To Read: How Parents Can Help Their Toddlers Get Ready To Read

~*Official Snail Mail Pals Blog*~

Choose your pick Sandbook MEGA Giveaway!!!

Pen Pal Interviews

Searching for Guest Writers!!!

An update on us and the Nu Wave Oven

MIKA Magazine - the new Lifestyle Magazine!

PenPal Magazines and Booklets

RiaCabral.COM: Take your Pick! - A giveaway.

Christmas Cards...

Traveling Notebooks & PenPalling

SandbookNet is updated!

OPERATION SOLDIER SWAP

FORE! GOLF 101 & MY PASSION FOR THE FAIRWAYS & GREENS

Yummy Egg Fried rice With Prawns

I love egg fried rice and I also love prawns so why not add them together to make a tastey dish.

Egg fried rice with prawns

Ingredients

Method

Facebook Tests Displaying Friends’ Photos On Homepage

Honduran White Bats Are Fluffy Marshmallow Critters | The Featured Creature

My life and pen palling

How to: Smoky Eyes

Here is a great step by step guid on how to get the smoky eyes look.

Spider Cake

This Day in History — History.com — What Happened Today in History

13 Facebook Parodies That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

Steak, Guinness and cheese pie with a puff pastry lid

Granola Flapjacks

My Facebook Endeavors

Bathroom Issues for Law Enforcement - PoliceLink

Snyder builds run on business past | detnews.com | The Detroit News

FAN FICTION ON FACEBOOK

Next Level Blogs: Promote Your Blog Using Technorati I found this p...

Next Level Blogs: What To Do When You Get a Hater If you are any k...

WANTED: Fan Fiction Writers & Readers...all genres

Video Tutorial How to make nice and neat FBs (FriendshipBooks)

Free PenPal and Swappers Magazine hosted by the Team of www.Sandbook.Net

Best online videos | moviespot.ro

Battlestar Galactica Fan Fiction

Ghost Writing for a Living

What Koalas do When it is Hot

Ghost Meringue and, Gingerbread men skeletons....Oh yum!

Employee & Employer: A Relationship

George R.R. Martin: A Song of Ice & Fire

Halloween

AMERICAN CHOPPER: SR. vs. JR. PART 2

Searching the Stars

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Home-made beef burgers

The New Girl

My Ideas Writing for Speculative Fiction/Alternative History Genre

CABLE WOES

Thoughts From Me

I ♥ Etsy!

Paper, Paper, Paper!

Back to School Time!

Creative cards!!!

Kayla's Handmade Letter Writing Sets

A Different Site for Job Hunters

I was surprised, were you?

Skin Care Thoughts

Learning to read crochet patterns

Frugal Old Fashioned Hard Candy

Arts and Crafts

Frugal Sweet Potato Casserole

Happy Valentine's Day!

Your Favorite

Card Making?

Happy Halloween and Happy November

6 Letters

More Pals on the Way?

We're on Facebook!

Baby Dances to Single Ladies

Been Awhile

Spoof Video

Good News!

What are you up to?

Mineral Makeup Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

Houseplant Care Tips

Happy Birthday!

~Official Snail Mail Pals Blog~