[Children’s Book Recommendation] The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen

Ever notice a small child look up when an adult walks into the room? Especially a very tall adult. Do you ever notice their eyes widen and how they bend their heads back almost to the point that you think they might break their little neck trying to look up in awe at this giant!

Do you wonder what they might be thinking? 

Do they think:

- How does a person get to be so big?

- Will I ever become a giant like that?

- I am so small. Will that big person hurt me?

- They're looking at the wall. Do they see me down here? I could get crushed!  Better move to some place safe like next to my mom.

Now imagine you're a small child in a home filled with giants. A giant father. Giant brothers. Giant sisters. All of them doing gigantic enormous things every day! Always busy all of the time. So busy they never even see you. You're so tiny. So tiny that your family gives you the name that means “the smallest one”. 

You think to yourself:

• Do they call me that because I'm not as big as they are and never will be?
• Or is it because they think so little of me that I might as well not exist? 

Though not her exact words, these were very likely the daily thoughts of Princess Djeow Seow, fourth youngest and smallest daughter of the Emperor of China.

Such was her world. Her brothers were allowed to help her father rule the kingdom. Her sisters brought the food to their father's table.

What was she permitted to do?  Go fly a kite! Literally.

But not everyone disregarded the tiny princess. There was a humble monk who always watched her whenever she hoisted her favorite kite into the air. Each day he would repeat the same prayer to her and each day she would always thank him in the same way. Every day. Each day. Each day. Every day. Except … one day.

Sometimes being “the smallest one” can be a very good thing.

*The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen is suggested reading for 3rd and 4th graders.

Jane Yolen is one of my favorite authors of books for children and young adults.  She has been writing for decades, mainly the fantasy genre.  The sweetness and simplicity of her style is what makes her work so appealing.

Original source

* * *

How Often Do You Update Your Blog Content?

Blogging Advice and Tips: My Pain, Your Gain: Newbie bloggers should always try to benefit from the blogging experiences of others. That's what I did! How often do you update your blog content?

Once upon a time, a long long time ago (or at least it sure feels that way) … I learned that great sites DIE! Many of the online writing communities that approve me as a contributor no longer exist. Fortunately, I saved backup copies of my work and simply republished the content elsewhere. Wonderful platforms like Medium.com accept both original and republished writing. Whew! That's a relief! Even so, because of my prior experience, I don't put all of my apples in one basket. That means that I know one morning I might wake up and find that Medium has disappeared. Hey! It could happen! But I hope it won't.

Meanwhile, after trying out different blogging platforms (Blogspot, WordPress, Tumblr, Wix, Webs, etc.), I finaly settled on using the Blogger (or Blogspot) platform for publishing my stand-alone blogs. WHY? Blogger is owned by Google and my blogs were approved for Google Ad Sense. The whole purpose for blogging is to monetize my content and earn supplemental income. Because I used the free plan instead of paid services, the other blogging platforms did not make it easy for me to monetize my content. Blogger was super simple and the regular send me eMails when they make significant changes as to how they place ads on your site, etc.

August 20, 2024, Google sent an eMail about “New ad intent chips format: Automatic enrollment ...” I am not really a tech savvy person. So when I get these kinds of messages all I want to know if: Do I have to do anything? Fortunately, Google uses says no action is required because of their commitment to “seamless transition”. And when I read those words, a hallelujah chorus followed and I start doing the happy dance in my seat. LOL.

Anyway! Enough of my babbling. Currently I am publishing six blogs that have been approved for Ad Sense. Getting traffic to the blogs is not a walk in the park and it gets worst when Google does these “updates”. There's no point whining or complaining about the traffic fluctuations because when Google moves you just have to follow along. That's why, I persevere. How Google's Algorithm Updates Affect Your Website's Traffic | LinkedIn

If I were to give advice and tips to newbie bloggers I would tell them to one thing they must always remember: Your blog posts are NOT written in stone. That means you need to constantly revisit your content, check for broken links, check for outdated information, etc.

Review, revise, and even re-purpose your blog posts. Repurpose? You may have initially written the post to cover one topic but so much changed you had to discuss another topic. In other words: That was THEN; This is Now. Another reason I like the Blogger platform is that after my posts have been refreshed, I can re-date them. That's right. Change the date, especially of your changes were significant, so that when visitors drop by they will see current content. If you change the date of a previously published, before hitting the publish button with the new date, check the Permalink. This is the URL that is automatically generated. Depending on the type of template you use, check to see if there is a “Title Link”. If there is, then copy and paste the Permalink into the blank space, then hit publish. Your old URL (i.e. the Permalink) has likely been indexed by the search engines. By attaching that link to your title, when the the search engine crawls, it will pick up the same URL linked to content your updated and redated. Website Crawling: The What, Why & How To Optimize | Search Engine Journal

Since you realize that your have to continuously revisit your content, you might ask: How often must my blog content be updated? (That's what I asked.)

Once upon a time, a long long time ago (or at least it sure feels that way) … I learned that great social media communities DIE! Do you remember Google Plus? I thought the platform would upend Facebook and they probably thought so too. But that didn't happen so they scrapped the project. But when it was active, I used to follow Mike Allton, a blogging and social media expert. He said bloggers should update and/or recycle or "revive" their content regularly, and recommended that you "... invest your time in past posts that you have actual reason and evidence to support the renewed interest." Besides that, links get outdated and it affects your rankings in the search engine. Bad links = Poor quality content. That makes sense!

Another cool feature of Blogspot? When you go into the dashboard to view your listing of posts, some numbers represent the view count. Isn't that awesome? At a glance you can tell that one post was viewed 10 times while another may have viewed 100 times. So which post would you pick to “revive”. Likely the one that seems to be “surviving”, i.e. the one with the most views. This is not always the case. View count is a good rule of thumb. But not a fast and hard rule.

EXAMPLE: Some of my posts date back to 2014. That's 10 years. Some of the information is useless now, even if it shows the post had 1000 views. The content may be time-sensitive, i.e. it was a hot topic THEN, but it isn't NOW. So don't bother making changes. But if your content is “evergreen”, i.e. NOT time-sensitive, that means that something you wrote a decade ago, might still be relevant today.

You should always take heed to good advice. Mr. Allton offered good advice, so I took heed. If you're a newbie blogger, so should you. In fact, here is a link to an article published by Mr. Allton in 2014 and most of it is still applicable today. How To Revive Old Blog Content | Blogging Brute

Thanks for reading.

MEI in Silicon Valley is a Step in the Right Direction

As a member of the Medium.com writing community (view my writer's profile), not only do I enjoy writing content but I also enjoy reading and commenting on the articles of my fellow writers.

Yash Bansal published an article titled "Silicon Valley leaders are labeling ‘DEI’ as harmful and ‘meritocracy’ as ideal". It is an excellent read. After reading, I left comments.  On Medium, responses to comments appear on your profile but they are not counted in your list of stories.  I often re-share my comments with readers who visit my blog.  The comments below are my thoughts.

This is an excerpt from the article that inspired my comments:

“Scale is a meritocracy, and we must always remain one,” Wang proclaimed. “Every decision to bring someone on board is crucial and has never been influenced by current trend…

The reality remains. If you were running a business would you not want to hire the best talent? That's just common sense. But you know what they say. Common sense ain't all that common.

It's marvelous TO SAY we hire for MEI, merit, excellence, and intelligence. But saying it and doing it are two different things.

Had “all things been equal”, there would be no need for discussions like this. But there are still people doing stupid stuff. Can I provide an example? Uhh … yeah. Kamala Harris. What was the first thing Trump and his team jumped on when they realized he was going to run against her? DEI and a question about her racial identity/ WHY? Because they could not think of anything to say to prove she was not qualified. Such as ... she's a convicted felon or .... She grabbed men's crotches BECAUSE SHE COULD! Etc. They had to do something to cast a shadow.

I applaud businesses that say they recruit based on MEI. That type of hiring should have been in place all along. It's a way of moving forward.

HOWEVER, it won't erase DIE (Discrimination, Inequality, and Exclusion) that's been going on FOR CENTURIES.

Just look at all the laws America had to pass to try to fix this CRAP!! The Emancipation Proclamation, The Indian Citizenship Act, the Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and on and on and on. What was the purpose of those laws? Official oppression for specific groups of citizens, human beings, that other citizens, human beings WANT TO KEEP DOWN! 

Anyway! Keep on pushing, Mr. Wang.

The judge ruled?
DEI will never erase DIE (Discrimination, Inequality, and Exclusion) that's been going on FOR CENTURIES.
How about AS OF TODAY, we ALL apply the self-evident Truth that ALL are created equal & then move on?
Can we do this? YES WE CAN!
(If we really want to.) 🇺🇸 https://t.co/eN0qUV9EYM

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 12, 2024

(Original Source)

Who Decided This Nonsense About Royalty and Royal Blood? Why Did We Agree?

As a member of the Medium.com writing community (view my writer's profile), not only do I enjoy writing content but I also enjoy reading and commenting on the articles of my fellow writers.

Maximus Aurelius published an article titled "The Origins of Royalty: A Simple Explanation". It is an excellent read. After reading, I left comments.  On Medium, responses to comments appear on your profile but they are not counted in your list of stories.  I often re-share my comments with readers who visit my blog.  The comments below are my thoughts.

There is a scripture that says “It's not within man to direct his own steps.”

I read that and thought: “Uuuhhh … so?? … we're stupid?” (O.o)

When you read the history of humanity whether you call the people in charge kings, czars, emperors, etc. … don't you ask yourself: 'When did God die and leave them in charge?'

I mean … did it happen that on one day, the human race thought about and decided:

Wait! You want us to take one person, along with their family, and put them over all the rest of us. We even have to kneel down to them? When they eat and sleep, poop and piss, and die just like we do.

OK! I'm excited about this plan. LET'S DO THIS!!

*** (O.o)

Regardless of the origin of royalty … no matter what anybody says … I think civilizations would be better off without them.

If royals were so important to the survival of human life … why is that some countries that used to have kings and queens, but they don't have them anymore.

The fact is: One or more humans are the ones who made up something called “royalty” and then expected all the other humans to be on board with it! But as time passed, other humans thought to themselves: WHY DO WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS? OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!

(Just my comical take on the history of mankind. Great article.)

Original source

American Politics and Religion in 2024: Separation of Church and State is Still aYAY or NAY!

Do Souls Exists?

AreYou Ready to Trust Dr. AI?

Are the Kids Labeled as Gen Z Hopeless?

Racism in the 21st Century. Uuhh ... WHY??

Thoughts About Euthanasia, Abortions, and Botched Executions

Work From Home: Useful Advice for Affiliate Marketers

Do you work from home? Do you need help to consistently make money online from your activities?  My answer to both questions is YES!  I've been at this since 2007.  I have made money from my online work.  Only recently (i.e. within the past 2 or 3 years) have my earnings become consistent.  (Although the amounts are still not enough to pay the rent; I can buy groceries.)  

Image credit:  Amazon.com

Currently, this is what I do daily to earn money, working at home:

1) Watching Hideout TV videos
2) Performing small tasks at several crypto faucets
3) Chatting at social sites that pay like Forum Coin, Noise.Cash, etc.
4) Affiliate marketing (mainly posting links via social media) 
5) Maintaining monetized blogs and writing articles at sites that have a monetary rewards incentive

I just started micro-investing (buying stocks, ETFs. etc.) and crypto trading.  It will become Number 6 when I start making money.  I said "when", not "IF". ☺

I continue to read countless articles and blog posts written by others who insist there is A WAY to become financially independent by making money online.  Maybe so.  But I have not found it.  What I have found is that what works for one person may not necessarily work for me.  I also found that you have to be persistent in order to reach your financial goals AND you must keep up with the changes and adapt when needed.  When they introduced Ad Blockers in Browsers, that was a game changer for people like me who wanted to make money online.  Most of the money I earned came from advertising revenues.  

Fortunately, friends introduced me to cryptocurrency.  There are ways to earn crypto and while the website you go to might rely on revenues from advertising, the activities you perform at that site to earn crypto coins is not impacted.  Once you earn cryptocurrency, you can deposit coins into a trading account to start investing and growing your portfolio.

Friends also introduced me to micro-investing.  I'm a newbie right now, but I have confidence I can make this project work!

The preceding paragraphs were background/introduction to direct you to an article I read by Caroline Carr, a fellow writer at Medium.com. Five Things You Didn’t Know About making $75 Every Day.  (unpublished). It's an excellent article but I'm going to repeat myself.  What works for one person might not work for you.  

♦  For affiliate marketing, she recommends The Big Three: Warrior+, JVZoo and Clickbank.  The first 2, I've never heard of; but my experience with Clickbank has produced ZERO results.  Nevertheless, I would not discourage anyone from giving any of these three a try.  After all, they worked for Ms.Carr.

WHAT IS WORKING FOR ME?  I signed up to become an authorized affiliate via several programs.  The program that has produced the best results is Sovrn Commerce (formerly VigLink).  They have various marketing tools.  But the tool that works well for me is the Chrome browser extension.  It allows you to create and share monetized links of over 70,000 merchants.  Think about this.  You're constantly browsing anyway.  Suppose you land on a merchant's website that has products or services you would like to market.  Click the icon for the browser extension and it will tell if that link can be monetized and how much you can make if someone clicks the link and visits the website.  Is that super easy or what?  You can share the affiliate link you created anywhere that it is allowed.  My monthly earnings are automatically sent directly to my PayPal account.  I did not make $75 a day.  But I do earn regularly from my affiliate marketing efforts.  You can do a general search for reviews of VigLink.  Some people like it.  Some people don't.  I LIKE IT!!  It's working for me!

• Viglink Review - Detailed Information With Pros and Cons (2022)

Viglink #Review – Detailed Information With #Pros and #Cons ~ https://t.co/LiUoMDeUTu
CC: @BforBloggers @VigLink #affiliateopportunity
BizPartners: @goshoppingbees @EverydaySpices pic.twitter.com/KIyFfv6RWk

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) May 18, 2024

♦  Ms. Carr also suggests using Quora for your affiliate marketing purposes.  Quora is recommended for traffic if you do not have a blog, a website, or a YouTube channel.  I created an account with site when it first started.  It's a Q&A site.  It was not really created FOR affiliate marketers.  In fact, during the beginning years when the community was growing, I tried to share my affiliate links and was given a warning that such activity would not be allowed and that my account would be deleted.  Quora was launched in 2009.  It's 2022.  I guess they have changed the rules. (???) 

WHAT IS WORKING FOR ME?  There are others who agree with Ms. Carr's method (see link below).  As for me?  Even if the rules have changed, Quota is not a site that I would choose to share my affiliate links.  Ms. Carr suggests you write responses to various questions and insert your link into the content.  I get more results when I use social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest; and writing a brief description of the product or service is all that is needed.  I'm a KISS type of marketer.  (KISS = Keep It Short and Simple.)

• Only Losers Get Banned! Learn How to Promote Affiliate Links on Quora (The RIGHT Way)
• Affiliate Marketing On Quora: 5 Simple Steps To Earn Quick Cash - Shohib AK
• How To Make $300/Day With Affiliate Marketing On Quora - 5 Traffic Hacks

CONCLUSION: I am not saying that I will NEVER try the methods used by Ms. Carr. Never say Never. But for the present, I am going to use the online activities that are producing results and employ more of my efforts toward cryptocurrency trading and micro-investing. 

Ms.Carr says if you use her methods you can make $75 a day with affiliate marketing.  The methods I use are NOT generating $75 per day; more like $75 a month.  However, earnings from my affiliate marketing efforts fluctuate and I have noticed that earnings increase significantly during the holiday months of the year (October through December).

DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU! ☺

Original source

  

Best Car to Buy For Your Large Family

Chevrolet is an American automobile manufacturing corporation that has been in business since 1911.  I am so old that I can remember the advertisement that said “See the USA in your Chevrolet.”  Chevrolet is pronounced sheh·vruh·lay. Lay rhymes with USA. It was a catchy line.  

Image credit: Open Road Brands Chevrolet See The USA Hanging Wood Wall Decor 

for Garage, Shop, or Man Cave

At one time, their major competitor was Ford. But times have changed and not only must Chevrolet compete with US car manufacturers but there are also non-US car manufacturing companies who fight for the attention of American consumers as well.  Based on my experience, I would say that even after all of these years Chevrolet still builds great cars!  They build small cars, sedans, trucks, mid-size cars, sports cars (like the Corvette), and most recently they started building all-electric vehicles.  

My favorite Chevy car is the Suburban. It is a large family SUV (sports utility vehicle) and if you have a large family and you drive to your vacation destinations, this car (or truck) is perfect!

I owned a Suburban for about 10 years. Sadly one of my teenage kids took it out for a drive, got in an accident and the family care was totally checked. However, my child made it out without a scratch.

During the time period when I owned the Suburban, I rarely had to make substantial car repairs. The regular car maintenance kept it going. I drove the car from Texas to Washington, D.C., and back again. It is very reliable transportation.

If you are looking to buy a large family SUV, I recommend the Chevrolet Suburban.

"In 1951, Chevrolet signed a deal to sponsor The Dinah Shore Show on NBC, during the height of her career as one of America’s mos

t popular singers and television personalities. At the end of each show, the charming, sultry-voiced Shore serenaded her audience with “See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet” from the driver’s seat of a sleek, brand new Chevy."  (Source)

BMF Reviews

Sites That Accept Republished Content (UPDATED)

In November 2015, I was on the hunt for information about reputable sites that accept republished content.  I did find a list of sites; however, that list has become unpublished.  No matter as the list did not include these two sites:

Niume and Medium.

Sign up for Medium.                         Sign up for Niume.

And then there was one.  2018 UPDATE:  

• The site owner for Niume passed away and nobody wanted to grab the torch and carry on this good work.  Writers were told to export their content and find a new home for their work.  Then the site closed its doors.

Image credit: Premium Bamboo Laptop Lap Desk of Extra Large Size. 100% Natural Bamboo Lapdesk Surface with Cushion and Handle. Can Be Used As a Mobile Desk, Bed Tray, Book and Writing Table.

Medium was launched in 2012 by two of the founders of Twitter.

Started republishing my previously published articles and blog posts at Medium about 3 years ago.  Both sites Medium and Niume) are respected and enjoy a good online reputation.  It is a good way to make your work more visible to the search engines and build your online reputation.


What I like about Medium is that the republishing process is simplified.  You simply import your content, do a bit of editing and hit the publish button.  You can introduce your content to a new audience and connect your social media accounts for simplified sharing as well. 

"If you're not publishing on Medium, you're missing out on a huge potential audience for very little extra work."

(Quote source: 10 Insanely Good Reasons You Should Publish On Medium) 

Below is an alphabetical list of my articles and blog posts republished at Medium with minimal effort.

● A Nation in Decline
● Aesop: unclear biography, unwritten fables, timeless morals
● Ancient History: Kingdoms : Lydia and Persia
● Balsam: For Priests, Kings and Everyday People
● Bringing White Feather From the Mountain
● Countries Most Worried About the Future (Their Future)
● Cyber Security to Protect Our Digital World
● Dating Sites — Tips on How to Score!
● Foreign Investors Buying U.S. Real Estate
● Genealogy : Modern Day Arabs and Their Father Abraham
● Go Your Own Way : Step by Step
● Illegal Immigration in the USA: A Proposed Solution
● Knight Life by Peter David
● My Dysfunctional Family
● Read a Self Help Book For a U.S. History Perspective
● Riddle Me This. Why Do Most People Search for Atlantis and not Ophir?
● Searching for Chinese Treasures
● Searching for the Truth?
● Smart Homes Get My Thumbs Up
● Society and Culture : Veiled Women
● Successful People Who Studied Abroad
● Syrian Refugees Go Home! (An Opinion Piece)
● The Color Blue (Humor)
● The Right to a Fair Trial / myLot
● Valentine’s Day Around the World
● We Live in a Digital World, Not a Yellow Submarine
● What is the Capital of Turkey?

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦  ♦  ♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

The owner of this site passed away and nobody wanted to continue the work.

Niume is based in the UK, was founded in 2012, and launched as an open platform in July 2014.

Initiated my republishing efforts at Niume in 2017. My work efforts at this site were mentioned briefly in another post - Work at Home ~ Home Biz Projects : Another Weekend! - UPDATE #1.  But that was in February 2017.  Here it is just two months later (April) and not only is my previously published content considered acceptable for publication but they have also allowed me to publish some original content.  In addition, several of my posts have been featured; what they refer to as "Staff Picked".  This goes far beyond what I expected.  Below is a quick list of my content chosen to be featured by the moderators at Niume.

• Health : Women in Medicine : Florence Nightingale
• Celebrities : In Memory Of : Maureen O'Hara (1920 – 2015)
• Herb and Spice Spotlight : Capsicum (Red Pepper)
• Women in Business: Who Invented Monopoly?
• The Candle Was Invented When?
• The Evolution of Tea

 

♦  If you are looking for a new home for old content, you might consider giving these sites a try.

Earn Extra Bitcoins or Cash Money Watching Videos (Hideout TV + Cointiply)

I binge-watch a lot of TV shows on streaming sites like Netflix and Viki.  I used to feel guilty about it.  But then I joined social blogging communities where you earn extra income to socialize and it has helped me relieve the guilt.  After I spend hours and hours watching a series I share it with my friends by writing a quick review and publishing it.  Can it get any better than this?

YES IT CAN!!!

Most of the time I watched videos at night just before going to bed.  But what if I could also watch or listen to videos during the day while I did my other work around the house?  You know what I mean.  Multi-tasking.  Guess what! 

Ever heard of HideoutTV? 

I earn just for watching videos.  I don’t have to write reviews or discussions or anything!  Although I do click the "Like" button every now and then to show my support.

This site is supported by advertisers. Some video creators use this platform as an alternative to YouTube or in addition to their YouTube channels.  I am not a content creator.  I am a video viewer.  The cool thing is that … as a viewer … I get paid to watch videos.  Yes.  I have to watch the ads.  Watch 3 ads and earn.  So what!  I watch commercials on TV and don’t earn a penny!

Here’s how it works for me.  You may have to arrange your set up a little bit differently.

• FIRST:  You have to create an account.  Sign Up is Free.  Whenever you watch videos, you must be logged into your account in order to earn money.

• SECOND:  I used to watch the videos on my laptop.  But the platform owners just recently created a FireTVapp so that viewers can watch the videos on TV.  Fortunately, my kids bought me a FireTV for a Christmas present.  So that I wouldn’t protest about them wasting money, they told me it was ON SALE!  Turns out, even when it’s not on sale, the Toshiba Flatscreen FireTV Edition is not really all that expensive.    So!  I downloaded the HideoutTv Fire TV app from Amazon.

• THIRD:  When I turn on the TV, I select the app, I sign in, start playing the videos, and multi-task. While the videos are playing, I can also work on my laptop or do other things.

• FOURTH: The most important question.  How do I get paid?

Well!  There are different ways to get paid.

HideoutTv is partnered with different “Loyalty Reward Partners”.  If you have an account with one of those Partners, that’s how you get paid.  You simply redeem your rewards through that Partner.

The Partner that I have an account with is Cointiply. I linked my Cointiply account to my HideoutTv account.  Whenever I want to redeem, I click the Rewards button and follow the prompts.

Cointiply is a Bitcoins rewards platform.  When I click the REWARDS button, the coins are instantly deposited into my Cointiply account.

You may balk and say:  “I’m not into cryptocurrency.”

You’re not.  But I am.  That’s why I linked my Cointiply account to my HideoutTv account.

I also linked my Bucksify account.  At this platform, you earn tokens (BXT) and then convert them into cryptocurrency.

These days I redeem Bucksify tokens as bitcoins.  Deposit the bitcoins to my Cointiply account.  Why?  Because Cointiply pays 5% interest on your crypto.  But Bucksify does not.

However, as I already said, HideoutTV has different Rewards Partners.  Find a Partner you like, that will pay you using the method of payment you like, and go with it!

For example:  I used to use Earnably. That’s one of the Partners.  They pay cash via PayPal.

HideoutTV has about 30+ Rewards Partners.  If you want to know more, when you’re signed in, just go to the Support Center to either search for info or create a ticket and request information.

I have been using this fun way to earn money by watching videos for several months.  It’s working for me. I wanted to share this tip with others because it might work for you too!

***
Content first published at Virily.com

HideoutTV by Adscend Media ~ https://t.co/fH6Wubp9Wy via @amazon #apps #FreeDownload ~ Get Paid to Watch Videos. Sign Up is Free. https://t.co/wTaVe5DCHm #homeentertainment #entertainment #watchvideos #earnextraincome

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) February 27, 2020

***

Would you like to earn money for watching videos with ads?

Sign Up is Free at Hideout TV.  

***

Member since 2018.

Join Cointiply to Earn Free Bitcoin!

Member since June 2022.

Join Bucksify to Earn Free Bitcoin!

Florida Keys is the Perfect Place to Go Fishing

Do you know how many different species of fish there are? No? It’s cool. I don’t really know either. But I do know that my late husband really enjoyed saltwater fishing. He said he didn’t care too much for freshwater fish. Since I didn’t really know that much about fish, one way or the other, I figured it was just his personal preference. Fish is fish. What’s the big difference? You make the same dish whether the fish is from freshwater or saltwater. Right? Wrong!

Anderson Witherell is the Director of Marketing at a business called The Fish Guys, Inc. According to Mr. Witherell, the Americans are not actually much of a fish eater, therefore, American people do not know much about fish. “Everyone has his or her own preference about eating or not eating fish,” he says.

Well, my late husband was from The Bahamas and Bahamians know their fish. I am American and had never noticed before but one time my husband went fishing with a friend. Instead of driving to the Florida Keys where my husband did most of his fishing, his friend took him to another fishing spot. As was his custom, my husband came home with his catch, he cleaned them, and prepared them for our dinner. I was shocked! I asked my husband where did he go fishing and why did the fish taste so different from the fish he usually brings home? He remarked, “Oh this is freshwater fish!” There was a definite difference in the taste; and saltwater fish is a lot tastier, in my opinion. So even though I may not know how many different species of fish there are, my palette can surely make the distinction between saltwater and freshwater fish.

When we moved from Florida to other cities in the United States (Damascus and Gaithersburg, Maryland; El Paso and Austin, Texas), my husband could not easily go fishing any more. We had to buy whatever was available at the local grocery store. It’s not that the store didn’t sell saltwater fish. The selection was pretty good. But the fish was so expensive! From that point forward, we didn’t eat fish for dinner very often. Nowadays I buy frozen tilapia. The fish filets come is individual vacuum sealed bags. You just take a couple out of the freezer and prepare a quick meal for yourself. It’s nourishing and filling but I really do miss the catches my husband used to bring home.

Most of the time my husband brought home red snappers, yellow jacks, grouper, and trout. Key West and the Florida Keys are known for the abundance of fish and the variety is amazing. There is tarpon, sharks, barracuda, mackerel, wahoo, and mahi-mahi just to name a few more. Many people either owned their own boat or they would charter a boat to go fishing. We couldn’t afford either so my husband would fish off the Seven Mile Bridge. Let me share a little history with you about this bridge. I’ll start by telling you there’s the old bridge and then there’s the modern bridge which is the longest bridge in the Florida Keys that has been standing since 1982. But it’s old bridge that has all of the interesting history and that’s the bridge where my husband used to go.

While you’re driving on the new bridge you can see the remains of the old bridge. This bridge was built by a wealthy businessman named Henry Morrison Flagler. People told him he couldn’t do it. But he did it! It’s was a marvelous feat of engineering. People labeled the bridge the “Eighth Wonder of the World’’. People are so easily impressed. Mother Nature, on the other hand, is not! Labor Day 1935, an unnamed Category 5 hurricane, one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit the United States at that time, struck the Florida Keys, Key West, and Miami, Florida. (NOTE: I say “at that time” because several named hurricanes such as Camille, Gilbert, Wilma, and Andrew have come after.) But when the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 hit, it was … Bye Bye bridge! The bridge was destroyed along with several other man made structures. After the hurricane, the Old Seven Mile Bridge started being used by pelicans and great blue herons for perching and by humans for fishing. There are plans to restore this bridge and the project completion date is set for December 2021.

Have you ever gone fishing in the Florida Keys? Perhaps now that you know this interesting history, when you do go, you’ll appreciate and enjoy the fish you catch even more.

* * *

Original source

(Archive article copy.)

Vocabulary Improvement: Having Fun with English Words

Links below are to a post series I published at one of my favorite social blogging communities, MyLot.com. These may not be words you use in your everyday communications in the English language. But if you like to play word games like Scrabble, they might come in handy!  Learn them so you don't have to consult the dictionary during the game. ☺

English words are fun! Don’t you think so? Even if English is not your native tongue. When I was in elementary school as a method of enriching our vocabulary and improving our word skills, the teacher would send us home with a list of about 10 words. The homework assignment was to look up the definition of the words in the dictionary, write down the word and the definition, and write a sentence we made up using the word. Thinking back on it, I realize that it was a very good exercise.

What I Learned Watching Korean Drama

Several years back I watched a historical period Korean drama about a king who had a dream. He dreamed of a nation where everyone could read and write. Even poor people! It was a radical move! The nobles and scholars vehemently opposed him. They were willing to kill people over this! Can you imagine? To say that others disagreed with his ambitious endeavor would be the understatement of the century. Nevertheless, because he was fiercely determined, he accomplished his goal. He devised a system of 28 alphabets and from those letters, all words could be created. Sounds marvelous, doesn’t it? Watching that series really made me appreciate the ability to speak, read, and write in my native tongue, i.e. English.

Tree With Deep Roots (2011 K-Drama TV series) https://t.co/trTbFKYlyC #kdrama #historicalperioddramas #tvseries #readingandwritingliteracy #koreandrama #entertainment pic.twitter.com/b9H7Ytmrpu

— Joie de Vivre Magazine (formerly My Fox Nooze) (@FoxMarks_ATX) December 24, 2019

Tree With Deep Roots (2011 K-Drama TV series)

What I Learned When I Had No Internet Access

What do you do when you don’t have the Internet? Oh! I don’t know! Clean your house? Read a book or a magazine? How about … learn some new words? Where’s my dictionary? (Actually I don’t have a dictionary. I have a lexicon.)

Unlike the Korean alphabet, our American English alphabet is 26 letters. Our words are derived from the languages of various civilizations: French, Latin, Greek, languages of the Native Americans, etc. The creation of most of the words we speak rest on 5 of the 26 letters, which we call vowels. A – E – I – O – U. Sometimes the letter Y is considered a vowel. But for purposes of this discussion, we will count it as a consonant.

Entertainment and Education

I started out entertaining myself by scanning pages of my old lexicon and honing in on words I didn’t know. Then I thought to myself, many members of online social communities where I am an active member, are non-English speaking. Why not share my treasure finds with them? There are also some members who speak “the real English”. Per my late husband, there’s real English and then there is the English that Americans speak. Those community members who speak “the real English” might enjoy my findings as well.

So I’ve published this series of short posts. Why isn’t the series longer? Well because I got my Internet back. LOL.  I looked up the meanings of “5 English words” for each vowel. The pattern if you can’t detect it is the first vowel in the alphabet paired with the first consonant in the alphabet; second vowel with the second consonant; third vowel with the third consonant, etc. Similar to my homework assignment from elementary school, wrote down the word and the definition. I did not, however, use the words in a sentence. Why? Like I said, I got my Internet back! LOL.

Anyway … as I only wrote down the word and the definition in the posts, maybe the reader can go the extra step and use it in a sentence.

One last note. Keep in mind that some of the words I found, you probably won’t use in casual everyday conversation. But if you love to play word games like Scrabble, they might come in really handy!

5 English Words That Begin With “AB” … “BA”

5 English Words That Begin With “EC” … “CE”

5 English Words That Begin With “ID” … “DI”

5 English Words That Begin With “OF” … “FO”

5 English Words That Begin With “UG” … “GU”

Republished content here  You Can Have Fun With English Words 

America's First 10 Presidents ~ A Quick Summary

George Washington served as President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 (about a decade). During his administration the Bill of Rights became law. 

American Presidents AFTER George Washington, in order: John Adams; Thomas Jefferson; James Madison; James Monroe; John Quincy Adams; Andrew Jackson; Martin Van Buren; William Henry Harrison; and John Tyler.

First Ladies:

* Martha Washington;

* Abigail Adams;

* Martha Jefferson;

* Dolley Madison;

* Elizabeth Monroe;

* Louisa Adams;

* Rachel Jackson;

* Hannah Van Buren;

* Anna Harrison; and

* Leticia Tyler.

Quick Facts About the Presidents:

• George Washington ~ called the “Father of His Country”

• John Adams ~ he was the nation's first Vice-President

• Thomas Jefferson ~ he was the nation's second Vice-President

• James Madison ~ US declared war on Britain and British burned down the White House

• James Monroe ~ Spain gave US Florida in order to settle a $5 million debt

• John Quincy Adams ~ he was the son of John Adams

• Andrew Jackson ~ had a “Kitchen Cabinet” of informal advisors in addition to the formal presidential cabinet

• Martin Van Buren ~ major banks closed which started the Panic of 1837 and the was an economic depression that lasted for his entire presidency

• William Henry Harrison ~ inaugurated on March 4, 1841; died of pneumonia at the White House on April 4th

• John Tyler ~ signed bills permitting Florida and Texas to be admitted to the Union and become the 27^th and 28^th states

Did you know that:

* July 4^th is America's Independence Day. Three of the first ten presidents died on the 4^th of July? John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passed away in 1826. James Monroe died in 1831.

REF: U.S. History Timeline: From Washington to Tyler.

Presidents' Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February.

Original Source

Learn a part of American history that is practically unknown.

“The Feast of All Saints” is an adaptation of a book by Ms. Rice about people of color, not slaves but free, who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 19th century.

When you hear the name Anne Rice, if you’re like most people you think of vampires. So I was rather surprised several years back when a miniseries was aired on television called the “The Feast of All Saints”. This miniseries is an adaptation of a book with the same title by Ms. Rice, published in 1979. It is historical fiction about people of color, not slaves but free, who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 19th century. The series included many celebrated African-American actors whose work in the entertainment industry is well-known, such as Eartha Kitt, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and Ben Vereen. The series also introduced other not-so-well-known actors of color like Gloria Reuben, Robert Ri’chard, and Nicole Lynn.

I have yet to read the book, but the televised series was excellent from start to finish and very educational. It shed light on a part of American history that is practically unknown.

♦

Original source.

* * * * *  In Memory of Anne Rice (1941 - 2021)

If you like The Feast of All Saints, you might also like "Belle".

Books by Anne Rice ~ https://t.co/abqbln0axq ~ Ms. Rice has written 30+ #books, Her 1st novel, "Interview with the Vampire", published 1976 and another novel “Feast of All Saints” about the free people of color of ante-bellum New Orleans, published 1979, were adapted to film. pic.twitter.com/VL15YFGfYV

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) September 4, 2018

Are You Thinking About Investing in Bitcoin ETFs?

I am thinking about investing in Bitcoin ETFs. There may be others so I am sharing my research findings.

First Bitcoin ETFs approved by US regulators - The Verge

A Bitcoin ETF vs Traditional ETF

Bitcoin ETF is a type of ETF that tracks the price of Bitcoin. It is traded on traditional securities exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. When you invest in a Bitcoin ETF, you are not directly purchasing Bitcoin itself. Instead, you are buying shares in a fund that holds Bitcoin . (1)

The main difference between a Bitcoin ETF and a traditional ETF is that a Bitcoin ETF tracks the price of Bitcoin, while a traditional ETF holds a basket of assets (1). Additionally, investing in a Bitcoin ETF can provide a level of diversification and liquidity, while also reducing the risk of investing in a single cryptocurrency (2). 

REFERENCES:

(1) Shin, Laura. “Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work?” Coindesk.com. CoinDesk, January 11, 2024. https://www.coindesk.com/learn/2024/01/11/bitcoin-etfs-explained-what-are-they-how-do-they-work/.

(2) Mark, Julian and Gregg, Aaron. “As bitcoin enters the mainstream ETF market, here’s what to know”. Msn.com. “MSN,” 2024. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/as-bitcoin-enters-the-mainstream-etf-market-here-s-what-to-know/ar-AA1mP4eF.

oinMarketCap. “What’s Crypto ETF? - the Definitive Guide.” YouTube Video. YouTube, February 25, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNg4ma_jfB0.

Bitcoin University. “Should You Buy the Bitcoin ETF?” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 10, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_byWLZGMY.

‌Why Invest in a Bitcoin ETF?

Investing in a Bitcoin ETF can be a great way to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency market without having to directly own Bitcoin.

The first-ever spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved by the SEC on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024  (1).

These ETFs are publicly traded investment funds that enable investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without actually owning the cryptocurrency 2. Unlike cryptocurrencies that are traded on crypto exchanges, ETFs are traded on traditional securities exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq  (2).

One of the advantages of investing in a Bitcoin ETF is that it provides a level of diversification. By investing in an ETF, you are not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Instead, you are investing in a basket of assets that track the price of Bitcoin 3. This can help to reduce the risk of investing in a single cryptocurrency.  Additionally, ETFs are generally more liquid than cryptocurrencies, which can make them easier to buy and sell (3).

However, there are also some downsides to consider before investing in a Bitcoin ETF.

One of the main drawbacks is that ETFs are subject to management fees, which can eat into your returns. Additionally, the value of an ETF can be affected by factors such as market volatility, interest rates, and geopolitical events (3).

It’s important to do your research and understand the risks before investing in any ETF.

In summary, investing in a Bitcoin ETF can be a good way to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency market without having to directly own Bitcoin. However, it’s important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before making any investment decisions.

If you decide to invest in a Bitcoin ETF, make sure to do your research and choose an ETF that aligns with your investment goals and risk tolerance  (4).

REFERENCES:

(1) Browne, Ryan. “Here's what a bitcoin ETF actually means for investors.”, MSN.com. Jan 11 2024. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/heres-what-a-bitcoin-etf-actually-means-for-investors/ar-AA1mOlhu.

(2) Shin, Laura. “Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work?” Coindesk.com. CoinDesk, January 11, 2024. https://www.coindesk.com/learn/2024/01/11/bitcoin-etfs-explained-what-are-they-how-do-they-work/.

(3) Hallam, Nick, and Anita Hamilton. “Should You Buy a Bitcoin ETF? Weigh These 5 Factors First.” Barrons.com. Barrons, January 10, 2024. https://www.barrons.com/visual-stories/bitcoin-etf-risks-grayscale-ark-invesco-fidelity-ccbd04c4.

(4) Adams, Michael. “6 Best Bitcoin ETFs of January 2024.” Forbes, January 10, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/best-bitcoin-etfs/.

Hallam, Nick, and Anita Hamilton. “Should You Buy a Bitcoin ETF? Weigh These 5 Factors First.” Barrons.com. Barrons, January 10, 2024. https://www.barrons.com/visual-stories/bitcoin-etf-risks-grayscale-ark-invesco-fidelity-ccbd04c4.

Thanks for reading.‌

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