Quick and Dirty Tips Network

Quick and Dirty Tips is a network of blogs and podcasts I wandered into today. It looks good and I like the addition of podcasts. If you are looking for a network to write for take a look. I noticed no one is doing a home and garden theme yet.

I came to it through Grammar Girl.

Free Twitter Designer

The easy way to design your own Twitter background. It's free but gives you a small banner at the top left corner with the Free Twitter Designer.com name.

You could also use it to make a blog background if you keep it simple.

Exploring on Maple Syrup Festival Weekend

We were out to the Maple Syrup Festival in Elmvale. Had a good breakfast in town, saw a fire which they put out but there was a lot of smoke. Then we drove around. The last town we went through was Allentown (I think, have yet to check it with my mapbook). Found this house along the way. Posted more photos to Flickr.

Hillbillies and Outhouse

Harajuku Girls Style

My Mom bought a purse with these little Japanese girls on it. It was on the sale rack in Florida but I thought the drawings were cute and looked up the name on the purse. Found a lot of drawings and a whole fashion style called Harajuku.

Find more photos and information on Harajuku Style, WikiHow has a post about How to Dress Harajuku Style, there are photos on Japan Forum, Mooky Chick has a Harajuku Fashion Guide, on Flickr there is a collection of photos: Harajuku Girls are the New Geishas.

The illustration with this post came from Spoiled Brat's blog.

The Entrecard Widget is Gone from my Blogs

I've left Entrecard after a lot of loyalty and hope for things to grow and improve there. I did not take the decision lightly but it is based on something I feel strongly about though my opinions have weathered some storms and changes.

I strongly feel that a forum or blog owner must moderate comments and posts made by readers and users of the forum. It is a responsibility of the site owner to keep things civil and flowing. Also, they have the right to choose what is appropriate and what is not. However, no one should have their voice taken away based on their status, even if that is user status for the site or network. Being new to a site does not mean you should be ignored or not allowed to speak. I think a lot of people at EC will not have bought over 400 ads.

I don't know what my own status would be as far as that goes. I am not waiting to be approved or rejected based on the amount of ads I have bought. I asked for my account to be terminated and allowed them to do what they will with my remaining credits. There is a rumour that the moderators are stealing credits from abandoned or deleted accounts. Just a rumour but would not surprise me to know some are giving in to temptation. A lot of things going on with online networks are based on greed and opportunity. It is not easy to find one which has real ethics it stands behind.
This is the note I left at Entrecard:

Please delete my account. I've been loyal to EC for a long time but having to be approved to join the forum to have a voice at EC has crossed the line for me. I'm not asking to be approved or rejected I'm just done here. Any mods can take my credits - as I have heard they are doing anyway. Good luck to EC but Graham has gone far too far this time. My widgets will be taken down as soon as I send this note.

I think anyone upset with the way things are going at Entrecard should join the forums at CMF Ads. Even if you are not sure about using the ad exchange network there the forums are good. There is a real exchange of information and fun with bloggers, not all the talk is about CMF Ads.

More Reading by Moonlight

I've been reading a few new (to me) paranormal romance/ dark fantasy writers.

Kresley Cole

Natasha Rhodes

Gerry Bartlett - Writes about a vampire woman who doesn't fit the standard size two format.

Rural Exploration Group on Twibe

I started a group for Rural Exploration on Twibe, a Twitter offshoot site. Not sure what to do with it but could be a way to connect with others and find more photos, maybe even more locations to check into here in Ontario.

Urban Exploration on Twibe too. I don't get into the city much but still would like seeing the old buildings, forgotten things and abandoned places there.

Green Tomato Pie

Green Tomato Pie

Pastry for 9 inch pie with cover
3 cups of green tomatoes
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water

Remove the stem end of the tomatoes, but don't peel them. Slice the tomatoes in thin rings, cover them with boiling water, and let stand for about 10 minutes, then drain them. Arrange them in the unbaked pie shell. Combine the flour, sugar, spieces, molasses, and water. Pour the mixture over the tomato slices and cover with the top crust. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes and then at 350F for 30 more minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or sweetened sour cream. Serves 8.

This recipe was in the book: In a Country Garden - Life at Ravenhill Farm, by Noel Richardson.

Serif Free Software

Free versions of Serif software, includes WebPlus and DrawPlus for creating sites and making your own graphics. I found this a few years ago and never did do much to try them out. Now they are updated and still have free versions, which was nice to find. Or, you can pay and get a few more features. Or, go to the main site and get the latest versions of the same software. Pretty reasonable, even for the newest versions, when compares to DreamWeaver which is up to $500 now versus the $100 it was when I first got ahold of what is now an older version, before Adobe added it's name to the whole thing.

Pond Snails

All the goldfish survived the winter. I was tossing in a bit of fish food and watching them when I noticed a snail in the pond too. How it got there I have no idea. I read that they came come when you buy pond plants. But, we haven't bought any plants except for one last summer. I counted at least five snails when I looked for them. I don't know what kind they are or if I should get rid of some, how many are too many? Anyway, interesting to find them living in the pond. If they are purely scavengers they are welcome, tons of dead leaves in the pond for them to feast on. But, if they eat the fresh growth we will have a problem. There are only two waterlilys in our pond and one is pretty sensitive. Anyway, will see how the new tenant works out. I took a photo, if anyone knows what kind of snail it is let me know.

(As always you can click on the photo to see it bigger).

Smile in the Cupboard

I always like these two matching smiley mugs. I didn't find them at the same time or the same place. One was hanging around a couple of years before I found the second at a Goodwill here in town.

And The Cat Came Back The Very Next Day

The Cat Came Back has been stuck in my head ever since I posted about the song on the CMF forum a day or so ago. I found the Canadian cartoon based on the old folk song. It was fun to watch too. Originally created by Cordell Barker who was nominated for an Oscar for The Cat Came Back.

Old Mister Johnson had troubles of his own
He had a yellow cat which wouldn't leave its home;
He tried and he tried to give the cat away,
He gave it to a man goin' far, far away.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

The man around the corner swore he'd kill the cat on sight,
He loaded up his shotgun with nails and dynamite;
He waited and he waited for the cat to come around,
Ninety seven pieces of the man is all they found.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

He gave it to a little boy with a dollar note,
Told him for to take it up the river in a boat;
They tied a rope around its neck, it must have weighed a pound
Now they drag the river for a little boy that's drowned.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

He gave it to a man going up in a balloon,
He told him for to take it to the man in the moon;
The balloon came down about ninety miles away,
Where he is now, well I dare not say.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

He gave it to a man going way out West,
Told him for to take it to the one he loved the best;
First the train hit the curve, then it jumped the rail,
Not a soul was left behind to tell the gruesome tale.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

The cat it had some company one night out in the yard,
Someone threw a boot-jack, and they threw it mighty hard;
It caught the cat behind the ear, she thought it rather slight,
When along came a brick-bat and knocked the cat out of sight

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

Away across the ocean they did send the cat at last,
Vessel only out a day and making water fast;
People all began to pray, the boat began to toss,
A great big gust of wind came by and every soul was lost.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

On a telegraph wire, sparrows sitting in a bunch,
The cat was feeling hungry, thought she'd like 'em for a lunch;
Climbing softly up the pole, and when she reached the top,
Put her foot upon the electric wire, which tied her in a knot.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

The cat was a possessor of a family of its own,
With seven little kittens till there came a cyclone;
Blew the houses all apart and tossed the cat around,
The air was full of kittens, and not a one was ever found.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

The atom bomb fell just the other day,
The H-Bomb fell in the very same way;
Russia went, England went, and then the U.S.A.
The human race was finished without a chance to pray.

But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

PodCasting WordPress

On my ever growing list of things to do. I want to learn more about podcasting. I seem to remember typing that here already, not so long ago. Anyway, still there.

I found a site that does a podcast about WordPress and blogging. Have not listened to it yet but the preview of links posted to the blog makes it sound good. Can't listen right now cause the Momborg (to borrow Claire's name for her Mother) is sleeping, trying to get rid of her cold.

I am even making a new tag for podcast on this blog. That gives me the hope I can find all the stuff I have bloggered about it when I actually do something about it. I do have a microphone, that's a start on the hardware. (Always be optimistic!)

Vampire Grrl Speaks Up

Effective Advertising for Canadians

There's a pretty effective ad. I came across this ad on the site for the York Region newspaper. Someone had sent me a link to follow to a story they had printed. Anyway, I was struck by that ad with the maple leaf falling down. I even went to the site for the Nature Conservancy.

Cinnamon

Teena has a post about cinnamon. I'm not a health nut. I just don't have the patience to think about more than I already am. I know what I like, I know (more or less) what is high in fat and calories and I make my decisions as I go. I know raw onions make me really sick so I avoid those.

The cinnamon thing was interesting though. I've been taking vitamins and a few times a month I actually pick the jar up from my desk and swallow one. The cinnamon would be simpler. I like adding it to coffee for instance. After reading Teena's post I wanted to look up cinnamon recipes. What comes to mind first though are those delicious and sinful buns, rolled up with cinnamon and icing. Too yummy! All the cinnamon roll recipes use a bread machine. So I didn't spend much time on them. I don't use a bread machine. Seems a bit of a cop out.

Chewy Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir together graham cracker crumbs, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.

2. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Mix in vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture. Scoop the dough out onto ungreased baking sheets by rounded spoonfuls.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned at the edges, 9 to 11 minutes.

Right On - Respect the Blog

I think everyone out there who blogs with passion and with creativity and with skill should speak up and declare themselves a Writer with a capital W. I think it's time that all bloggers, especially daddy and mommy bloggers (no, I don't resent that term - I embrace it) should demand the respect that their traffic, their influence and their talent commands.

Odd Shots: Photo Meme

Odd Shots - Post your photos of something unusual each Monday.

Not Long Enough

Cut and pasted from a FaceBook friend's profile:

I helped set up my lover's PC. For his password he typed "MYPENIS" I laughed and fell off the chair when the PC replied PASSWORD REJECTED- NOT LONG ENOUGH!!

Blog Friendly PR

I wasn't really looking for ads or trading ads, etc. Came across Blog Friendly PR on another blog. I signed up for WordGrrls. Will see how it goes. Does look interesting but I'm not keen on making posts to advertise anything. The sidebar is ad real estate, not my posts.I do have a soft spot for PR after taking a college course in PR and communications.

New Journalism?

Where do you fit in on the idea of print versus online media? Do you think the end of local newspapers, radio and television stations is just a sign of the times (changing economy and changing technology) or do you see things differently?

From the Shores of Introspect and Retrospect posted about the closing of the local newspaper in Colorado.

I posted my own comment below:

It's very foolish to think the "new media" will or can take the place of a published newspaper for an area. For one thing, there are few new media sources which focus on any one area. One person publishers can not be unbiased in their reporting and they can not be everywhere and find the news which a staffed newspaper can.

Also, though few would think it important, the advertising flyers which we rely on to find where the specials are each week. While newspapers are a great source of local events, local business reviews too, let's not ignore the local sales too. Online media can not offer what a newspaper has to offer.

I think relying on bloggers and new media will not be good for our language skills either. Someone who has not be trained as an Editor or other type of English language professional makes mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation. I like to think I am above average but I know I am not perfect. There are mistakes which I make (over and over without knowing) which a professional editor would catch, and fix.

This post is especially hitting home for me as we are seeing the possible end of your local TV station here in Barrie. Mainly a money thing. But, I think money is the symptom of the cause. People are relying on the Internet for news and entertainment. There is less of the market for TV, radio and print than there was before the Internet. But, I don't think the old forms of media are invalid or no longer needed. Each fills a different need and utilizes the resources for news and communications in different ways.

What Kind of Writer Should you Be?

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

The Unimaginative

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative ~Oscar Wilde

I'm very often inconsistent and distracted so I really like this quote. :) This was posted on From the Shores of Introspect and Retrospect.

The Houses are Dying

Lee-Ann sent me this link, 100 Abandoned Houses. It is heartbreaking to look at them but I looked at all 100, cringing and sighing over some of those beautiful homes being left to fire and eventual death. A house can die I think. It may not be alive in the sense of having blood or opposable thumbs, but it is a creature of sorts. When (if) you look at these houses think of them as a home, a place that used to have a friendly kitchen and bedrooms where children lined their stuffed animals up along the headboard of their bed. These houses aren't homes but they have lost more than that. One, in particular, just seems to be moaning "I'm hurt." Where did the people go? I read the about page for the site, that explained some of it.

Maybe knowing Detroit is/ was a big part of the auto industry explains even more. Will this be the future for more of our cities as the big employers buckle under and there are fewer jobs for an increasing population? Could the cities become ghost towns, like out of some science fiction story? It's a weird feeling to look at these houses and know they are all in a large city, not some out of the way farmhouse in rural Ontario.

My Brute is Kind of Cute

Pick your brute, go forth and clobber.

My Brute is available to clobber you if you feel you need to be on the wrong end of a frying pan, or whatever comes to hand. 

Cute and simple online game. Just don't take the clobbering part too seriously.

Flower Blossom Cookies

These will cheer you up for Spring. Still more snow here in Barrie today. But I did find these in a flyer at the grocery store yesterday.

Flower Blossom Cookies
Ingredients

1 cup [250 mL] butter, softened
1/2 cup [125 mL] sugar
1 egg
1 can [300 mL] Low Fat Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tsp [10 mL] vanilla
4 1/2 cups [1.1 L] All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp [2 mL] baking powder
50 lollipop sticks

GLAZE
3 cups [750 mL] icing sugar
4-6 tbsp [60-90 mL] water

food colouring (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease or line baking sheets with parchment paper.

COOKIES:

Cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add egg, condensed milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in remaining dry ingredients.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece to a ¼” (5 mm) thickness. Cut out flower shapes with 2”- 3” (5 cm-7.6 cm) floured cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. Place lollipop stick underneath cookie, lightly pressing dough onto the stick. Gather up scraps and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until beginning to colour. Cool on racks.

GLAZE:

Combine icing sugar with water. Brush a thin coating of glaze over cookies. Allow to dry for 10 minutes. Divide remaining glaze into small containers. If you run out just make a bit more. Add different food colouring to each container. Using a small paint brush, paint each cookie any way you like.

TIPS:
• Sprinkle on decorations such as coloured sugar or sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. They will dry and stick to the cookies.
• Wrap stems of cookies with tissue and ribbon to make a bouquet.


Makes 50 cookies

Unusual Page on Today.com

I was looking at Today.com, thinking about trying it as a writer. I wanted to find some kind of directory of blogs (by topic preferably) on the network. Instead I found a girl licking the butt of another girl. Not quite what I expected to find. See the screen capture below. Maybe someone hacked into their site and they have not found it yet. I sent a note, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, I think I will hold off on joining for now.

Update: They fixed it sometime during the day today. Someone on the support staff emailed me back and said they were going to fix it right away. So, it must have been hacked. But, how long was it up there? Funny that a page on such a big site could be hacked, unnoticed.

Addendum: Seems this has been up for at least a month on the Today.com site and it is a deliberate thing. They make money by keeping a porn link up. Wow! Would you want to write for a network that pretends to be one thing and is in fact something else where it thinks the sun don't shine?

Your Name

Your Name's Power is Perception

Your name's power is that it helps you be perceptive. Your name conveys both wholeness and wisdom. People who meet you can't help but think you are enlightened. You try to live your life with flexibility and insight.

What's Your Name's Power?

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time. You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult. You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you are brimming with passion that you keep hidden. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Is It Sad or Not?

I've been offline since Monday with technical difficulties. Very frustrating week.

Anyway, I am catching up on all kinds of things. Along the way I read this posted to Facebook:

I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken, and the one that could always brighten up your day even if she couldn't brighten her own.

I replied back in comments:

That sounds pretty sad. Hope you are feeling your smile on the inside where it counts. Once you have it inside it always shows on the outside. A smile is more than the way your mouth moves.

What did you think when you read the post? Did you see it as sad or.. what? She had a couple of commenters before me. Both seemed to think she was upbeat or at least they didn't say she sounded sad. Is it just me?