Shocking Surprise

This morning, i tried to log in to check some mails and my blogs as well but I was surprised to see that all my scheduled posts were gone. I didn't know how it happened but I sure was shocked to see that the posts I've prepared for my Blog Grading series were not there.
Hmmm... if only I had more time to look on this, I sure hope I could figure it but right now, I really have to run so here's a quick post to say thank you to everyone who still dropped by on my blog despite my absence.

Have a good day everyone.

7 Rules To Be Happy

Got this message from my inbox and I'm sharing them with you. These are really simple things to do and yet, when we look deeper, they are the hardest to do.

1. Never hate.
2. Don't worry.
3. Live simply.
4. Expect little.
5. Give a lot.
6. Always smile.
7. Be yourself.

Be happy everyone!

Now Grading: Live For Life

Snapshot taken on May 21, 2010

Blog Author: Silvergurl

Description: This blog does not have an about page where the site's description is stated nor the topics covered are discussed. It has a tagline ".. don't just exist"

Notes: Most of the topics are health-related and informative but it's not the usual personal blog where you will feel a "personal connection" with the author. Since headlines or post titles usually catch the attention of a reader, it would have been better if the color of the post title is not red because it becomes invisible against a red background. Currently has a Page Rank of 2.

The Twitterer's Grade: 3/5

Ratings:
5/5 - Bookmark it now
4/5 - Follow/subscribe worthy
3/5 - Drop by when you have time
2/5 - Visit when you have nothing better to do
1/5 - Avoid like the plague

The Twitterer's Blog Grading will run from May 21 to June 20, 2010. During this period, the author may not reply to your queries and comments. Thank you for your support and patience.

Now Grading: I Love/Hate America

Snapshot taken on May 21, 2010

Blog Author: Bingkee/Viviene Coyne

Description: This blog is about an immigrant's love-hate relationship with all things American - about things she finds appalling, horrible, uncomfortable, and likeable, about things she loves and raves about. It is some sort of a commentary on the American way of life as seen through a foreigner's eyes.

Notes: This is a constantly updated personal blog with an ear for it's readers - that is, if you leave comments, the author will reply back to you. Currently has a Page Rank of 5.

The Twitterer's Grade: 4/5

Ratings:
5/5 - Bookmark it now
4/5 - Follow/subscribe worthy
3/5 - Drop by when you have time
2/5 - Visit when you have nothing better to do
1/5 - Avoid like the plague

The Twitterer's Blog Grading will run from May 21 to June 20, 2010. During this period, the author may not reply to your queries and comments. Thank you for your support and patience.

Vacation Time

We will be having a vacation in my home country today and I can't wait to eat the foods that I really missed while I am here - partly because I don't know how to cook them and part due to the unavailability of some of the ingredients here. While you're reading this, our family is already on a flight back home to the Philippines - but you can still wish us a happy and safe trip.

Anyway, "The Twitterer" will not be idle while her author is on a break. I had prepared a series of posts that started yesterday with Warren's blog and I call this series "The Twitterer's Blog Grading Series". After reading about the characteristics of a good blog in various articles, I created a checklist and graded different blogs according to this list.

The featured blogs are randomly chosen from among my first commenters, frequent visitors, subscribers and EC droppers. If your blog is not included in the first part of the series, don't worry because I might still do the "Blog Grading" when I come back.

I apologize in advance because I might not be able to reply immediately to your comments or suggestions during my break but when I come back, I'm gonna give lots of linky love to all of you who'll continue to support "The Twitterer".

Have a great day everyone!

Now Grading: US Click Ads

Snapshot taken on May 20, 2010

Blog Author: Warren Contreras

Description: This blog is about earning money online without having to charge anything to your credit card or spending anything.

Notes: This blog has worthwhile contents but it is not regularly updated. Currently has a Page Rank of 5.

The Twitterer's Grade: 4/5

Ratings:
5/5 - Bookmark it now
4/5 - Follow/subscribe worthy
3/5 - Drop by when you have time
2/5 - Visit when you have nothing better to do
1/5 - Avoid like the plague

The Twitterer's Blog Grading will run from May 21 to June 20, 2010. During this period, the author may not reply to your queries and comments. Thank you for your support and patience.

The Twitterer's Gonna Grade Your Blog

Starting tomorrow, "The Twitterer" will be featuring different blogs and will grade them according to a checklist that I came up with after reading various posts about the characteristics of a good blog.

The blogs that will be featured will be randomly chosen among my top Entrecard droppers, constant visitors, subcribers, followers and commenters.

No, I won't be revealing my criteria for grading. It's a combination of this and that. And those, too.

Please do watch out for it. Who knows, the featured blog might be yours...

Disqus... Should I Try It?

I may had encountered Disqus a lot of times already while doing by bloghopping rounds but it was only when I visited Warren's blog that I decided to register. I also wanted to install it in my blogs but had second thoughts (because I'm not sure I could make it work, LOL).

The other day, I passed by Blankpixel's blog and she's already using Disqus. She said that it took her less than 10 minutes to install her in her two blogs. Hmmm... she makes installation sound easy. Should I try it?

How about you? What are comment system are you using on your blog? Do you use the default comments or had installed applications such as Disqus? Can you recommend other commenting systems as well?

Have a nice day.

My First Commenter

My Wish

The ray of light is shining
Upon my dear native land
With the break of a new dawn
All our hopes are up again.

I'm wishing him a great heart
With a great vision, to boot
A strong political will
So people will follow suit.

May unity be restored
And apathy swept away
No more of the "me" and "mine"
Just people becoming one.

My First Commenter

The Twitterer Joins Make A Wish Blog Contest

When I first read about Mhel's Blankpixel's intention to start a contest, I already planned to join it as a sign of support to my new-found blogger friend. I came across her blog via Adgitize last year and by regularly reading her blog, I felt like I already know her (and even the special people in her life).

But let me tell you something about me, I'm a great procrastinator! That's the big reason why even if the Make a Wish Blog Contest started in April 24, I still can't come up with an entry. I need to be reminded of the May 15 end date of the contest in order to force my mind to get working and come up with something.

I guess I need to start somewhere and this is it. I'm blogging about the contest and will be tweeting about it later. The harder (but juicy) part is coming up with the contest entry itself and I plan to post it tomorrow.

By the way, if you also want to join the Make a Wish Blog Contest at Just Another Pixel, click here or on the banner below for the complete mechanics and prizes.



Many thanks to the following generous sponsors who helped make this contest exciting. Please take the time to visit them.

Pinay Online Money Maker, Up Now and What's Next, Life Can't Wait, Spread the W.O.R.D., Pinkville : Pink & Magic Convergence Zone, The Sexy Tech, Bloguardian Hellsite: Overcashed, Gadget World, Living life to the Fullest!, Designers Depot, HeartyBux, Baterya.com, Miyabe Tayo, Ramblings of the Phat, Crafty Heart, Phat Wallet, Celeb-Square, My Thoughts, My Heart, My Turf, I Am a Princess, All Girls Are, Pinay Mommy Online, Mommy Rubz, Rubz Online, Mom's Hosting, Janette Toral, author of Blogging from Home, My Sweet Escape, Never Enough Stuff, Certified FoodiesMy Journey to Life, Something to LiveBabies and Contests, Lay It On Me Designs, Sharing My Thoughts, The Twerp and I, JellyBelly Talks, I Love Hate America, Mukhang Pera, The Twitterer, At Home with GeoRyL, Earn Money Online with Red, Contest and Gaming craze, My Red Hot Reviews and Red is Marose.

My First Commenter

Another Aquino President

Thanks to Senator Richard Gordon for authoring the Automated Election Law. Just two days after the May 11 election, the country now knows the result of the elections (the tabulation is almost finished). We have another Aquino as the next president of the Philippines. Liberal Party's presidential bet, Senator Benigno Aquino III, has won over Erap Estrada, Manny Villar, Gibo Teodoro, Dick Gordon and the rest of the contenders for the top position in the government.

My choice evidently didn't win and I'm hoping that the next president will be able to unite the people (as his supporters had been claiming that he's capable of doing) and lead the country forward. May his inexperience in the executive branch of government (he's been with the legislature) not deter him from enforcing the laws of the land and administering the bureaucracy. I wish him political will, vision and a heart that really wants to serve.

My First Commenter

Blogger in Draft Themes - My Opinion

When I learned about Blogger in Draft from Cornyman's post a few months back, I immediately tried their themes because I was looking for a new theme at that time.

BID offered various designs and templates - and they were easy to style too. With just a click of the button, you can mix and match everything.

At that time, I thought it was just me (or my computer, that is) but I noticed that it was harder to scroll down and up using their template. I would compare it to driving a car where instead of accelerating faster as you step on the gas, it becomes a stop-and-go jerking movement. Sorry, I don't know enough computer lingo to explain this in more technically appropriate terms. LOL!

As I bloghop and do my adgitizing and EC dropping rounds, I immediately know if a blog is using a BID template. Whenever I scroll down, the scrolling speed is so slow and even after I release the button, the page will still be scrolling down. Oh well, on second thought, it might help decrease your bounce rate because users will have to take their time in scrolling while looking for your EC widgets and adgitize slots in order not to "overscroll" it. But still, it's kinda distracting. I hope BID fixes that.

First Commenter

The Philippine Election Results Website

Yesterday, my husband informed me of the url of the website that will be used to show the election results but I didn't believe him because the title was dubious sounding. However, when I checked later, I've seen the election results posted by precinct numbers and in such a detailed manner that I finally believed that it's really the official site. I thought that the COMELEC will be sticking with their www.comelec.gov.ph website but now they have this dubious sounding site to show the results.

See the election results at http://electionresults.ibanangayon.ph.

Philippine's First Automated Election Held Today

Today's election day in the Philippines. For the first time, the Philippines held an automated election and so far, reports has shown that despite glitches, Filipinos were not deterred from casting their votes.

When I chatted with my mother yesterday, she mentioned her concern about the peace and order situation in the country. She's wondering if the limited number of police and military forces will be able to control the situation considering the proliferation of goons and guns of crooked politicians as well as rebels and other groups not wanting the election to succeed.

I guess her concerns had a valid basis considering that today, the COMELEC already declared failure of elections in two towns in Samar and Iloilo because of the worsening security situation. Violence and other untoward incidents were also reported in many areas in the country although the military reported that the 2010 elections is more peaceful compared to the previous elections in 2004 and 2007. Vote buying is - well, a given. In our town, a congressional candidate pays P400 for a vote, whew!

Anyway, I missed voting this election. Too bad because it would have been my first automated poll voting experience. I wasn't able to register for the absentee voting too because the Philippine consulate is more than an hour drive from my place.

Next time, I guess....

My vote would have gone to Gordon-Bayani. They are not popular in the surveys but their track record shows that they are capable of doing their job.

My First Commenter

The Twitterer Joins FCC

I've been seeing this First Commenter Club logo whenever I go bloghopping but thanks to Elai, I finally understood what "chop chop" means - and that is after I made the first chop in her latest blog, Elai's Precious Angels.

This post is to announce that The Twitterer and At Home With Georyl will be joining Mariuca's First Commenter Club. All first commenters starting with this post will be having some linky love.

Who wants to make the first chop?

Happy weekend everyone!

My First Commenter

The Television

I recently attended a party hosted by my neighbor. It was a big party and it seemed like everybody was having a good time.

Sometime past noon, I heard a commotion by the den. Checking it out, I saw one of our neighbors shouting and accusing the hostess of stealing her television.

The hostess was temporarily dumbstruck. "What do you mean?" she managed to say after gathering her senses. She was embarrassed by what her guest had said especially since she noticed that her husband's business clients were curiously watching the scene.

"Don't tell me that you don't know," replied the guest. "How can you steal my television and display it here?! Well, tell you what? You forgot to change the channels dear so I know that it's mine. Don't act innocent!"

Now, the hostess can't decide whether to laugh or to get angry. She was hoping the other guests understood what's happening but she felt obliged to defend herself. "I did not steal your television. Just because your TV has some of the channels shown in that TV, it doesn't mean that THAT is your TV. You're mistaken, I'm not a thief!"

"You're so mean. We are rich and only our family can afford to buy a TV in this neighborhood," said the guest. "I'm just wasting my time here so I'll just go and never come back again!" the guest furiously shouted on her way out.

After she was gone, most of the guests can't stop laughing. Obviously that invited guest thought that only their family has the resources to buy a television set so she got angry when she found out that her new neighbor has a TV.

"Don't worry about it sweetie," I overheard the husband telling the lady host. "My business clients don't mind and people who know us don't believe her either. She obviously doesn't know who we are. Steal a television?! Hahahaha!!!!"

Note: Television clipart courtesy of ClipartHeaven.

Plan B by Pete Wilson

Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up The Way You Thought He Would? is a book written by Pete Wilson, the founding and lead pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. It deals with coping shattered dreams, unmet expectations or just anything that doesn't turn out the way we planned them.

I was expecting a didactic and tediously moralizing book but Pete Wilson has drawn me with his conversational style of writing and non-preachy approach. Despite mentioning stories and characters from the Bible, the book doesn't sound preachy. It was an interesting, engaging and enlightening read - full of insights, too.

Although this book is inspiring and something worthwhile to read, I can only recommend this book to Christian readers. Stories taken from the Bible will mean more to the reader if they understand where these characters are coming from. But if you're an unbeliever with an open mind, feel free to grab a copy of this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Rache: I Am Not a Code Thief

This morning, I was annoyed by a message left in my message box at At Home With Georyl from Rache. She said "don't steal my code". It was not a question - it was a declaration. An accusation stemming from the fact that I created my own Adgitize Click Tool - similar to that one that she has on her site.

I replied to her message both through the same message box and through the contact form on her page. I wanted to be clarified why she said that. She replied by an email asking me why I stole her adgitize tool. And then left a message in my chat box saying i'm sure you knew exactly what I meant, you deleted my comment on your adgitize click tool post? hey, you forgot to change the links in the code.... This is not true. All comments on that blog require manual approval and I wasn't able to check them out immediately because I was focused on clarifying the issue at hand that's why it wasn't published yet.

Checking my The Twitterer blog, I again read a message in my chatbox and in the comment section in my post. I wanted to understand her and deal with this issue as professionally as I can that's why I asked for clarifications before saying anything. I thought she's a professional too and I was hoping that she'll act that way so it kinda infuriated me to see that she already posted her accusations everywhere. Now, should I just stay mum?

First of all, I am not a thief. If creating a drop list is a sin for you, then it's your problem, not mine. Drop lists both for entrecard and adgitize had been existing for years now. You are not even the original for it. John has a droplist, Chinaren has a drop list. Pehpot has a droplist too. People who work smartly use tools because it aids them in what they do.

If I wanted one that features sites that I wanted to be featured there, how will it be a problem to you? I don't even require those featured in the list to post my badge on their site, to follow my blogs nor to subscribe to my posts. Most of them are not even aware that they are on my list or that At Home With Georyl even exists. It's my personal tool to help me in my adgitizing and I just placed it there in case other bloggers might find it useful.

You are saying that I stole your code. YOUR CODE? Well, I didn't know that you own the onclick="window.open code. Why is it that a lot of people post that code online if you own it? You should have informed the world, especially those who post those html tutorials online not to use YOUR code.

YOUR CODE huh?

Oh, so that's why... Yes, really... it's a shame!

UPDATES: In reply to your comment below, here is my say:

I'm not dumb. I know how to input this phrase into google and search it "how to open multiple web pages with a single click". Onclick was one of the ways I discovered from that search. Don't claim the code as if you own it.

Now, I don't know why you say that we have the EXACT links. Those are the sites I encounter whenever I adgitize, drop EC and click spikes at CMF so naturally, they are the more popular blogs. Besides, the site owners didn't say that only you can link to them.

Don't disparage my adgitize tool because, unlike you, I include links there without any conditions.

My April 2010 Entrecard Top Droppers

Thank you very much for my following visitors from Entrecard for always visiting my site in April. As usual, I will be posting a link to your site on my sidebar for the whole month of April.

Again, thank you very much!

Happy weekend everyone!