Okay like many of you out there I was a little curious about how this works and if it was, really worth the effort. So I decided to d o some of my own investigating.

The first thing I did was go to Google and enter a search.

I found several sites and Whoa! A lot of sites are there. So , me being the frugal person that I try to be, Now days you kind of have to, I entered a new search. Free dating sites.. And two or three popped up. I will not enter the names for fear of fines and such. So, I picked the first one which looked promising.

Let me be Honest I didn't expect to find much on these sites. I always thought they were total BS so, I was pleasantly surprised. There are really some honest people out there looking sincerely for someone to take out and to get to know better. But there are those ones who are there to. shall I say, just want get laid!!! And, I guess that's fine if that's what your looking for!

But, I honestly wanted to see if it could be worth the fuss. So I entered the site and I hit the register icon. And it took me to a page where you fill out all your info. Now let me just tell you , if you don't have a lot of time, let's say at least 2 to 3 hours then this might not work too well. They do ask for a lot of info and it got me very frustrated. I was about to can the whole idea all together. But my research was more important that that , so I continued on.

The next thing I may suggest to you is, before you go to the site write down things like. What your looking for, What you look like (Be honest, if you're a big person say it. You'll be surprised how that doesn't matter much now days).

What are some things you like to do. Example, if you love to read say it! And say what kind of person you are looking for and, what your not looking for. Be specific. It gives you a wider range of people and they will appreciate your honesty.

Also if you have children please don't lie and say you don't. There are a lot of single parents out there who are just like you. They want to find someone very honest and ones who understand what is like to have kids and be single!!!!

So once you do all that you may choose to enter a picture. Let me just say the odds of getting someone's attention greatly increases' with a picture. So make it a great one. I for one will not message anyone back unless they have a picture. It's just I want to see if that person is attractive. Because if your not attracted to them then what's the point right!

Also requirements are good to put in. For example, Non -smoker, drinks or not, Married or not. Things you are looking for.

A lot of times the sites are equipped with that so it'll show on your profile. Also they give you a chance to put a header on your profile like, “ Honesty sincere man looking for a Honesty sweet woman to share good times wit” or something to that nature. So, be creative in your header.

Or , you can choose just to have your username on the page instead. Most sites do this too. After that you can write a little about yourself, your experiences, and what you are really truly trying to accomplish in this manner of dating. The best advice I can give you is to be yourself and be very wary of things. Don't get involved with someone you've never met. Don't send them money and, most of all don't believe them until you meet them. Be wary of everyone.

If you do by chance meet them meet them in a restaurant or a coffee house with lots of people around.

If you don't want to meet them by yourself take a friend with you. And, tell that person your meeting, that you are bringing a friend for safety and tell them to do the same, if they would like to.

Be precautious.

There are too many women getting scammed on the internet by believing anything these men will say.

Don't be desperate and don't sound lonely and scared. That will make you a target for those predators out there!!

Good luck and I hope it works for you…

Wikipedia  describes themselves best in the article “Wikipedia: About” portraying themselves as “a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project." The online encyclopedia includes entries from members all over the world who add to, edit, and create articles. Anyone can contribute to Wikipedia, however, its team of editors continually edit content to create what they call “fair and balanced” articles. According to the BBC News article entitled “Wikipedia survives research test,” many of the editors are experts in what they are revising. Throughout this article the pros (including diverse contribution and up to date information), and cons (including the potential for biased misinformation) of Wikipedia being used for research will be explored to share information on a controversial subject.

The Good

Wikipedia’s diversity of contributors and constantly updated information make it a great tool.  People from all over the world have the ability to add to, create, and edit articles. The Wikipedia article, “Why Wikipedia is so great” captures the advantage of this by stating: “because these highly intelligent people come from all over the world, Wikipedia can give the reader a genuine "world view."” In theory, Wikipedia offers users more culture and less bias. 

Information in Wikipedia is updated and edited so often, the likelihood of information being out of date is low.  It is a great resource that opens possibilities on many subjects and continues to update as more information becomes available. According to the BBC News article“Wikipedia survives Research test,” a British Journal did a review of articles in Wikipedia and found only eight serious errors.       

The Bad

Wikipedia as a research tool has many positive sides, but the fact remains that within these articles lay the potential for vandalism and misinformation. Open access allowing anyone to create, edit, or add to articles increases the likelihood for inaccurate information. The BBC News article “Wikipedia survives research test,” discusses the situation involving the founding editorial director of USA Today. According to The BBC News article, a Wikipedia article indicated him as a suspect in the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert. Although Wikipedia does not attempt to hide its potential for misinformation, a user unaware of these things may find an article, not follow up, and end up citing false information. In Wikipedia’s article, “Why Wikipedia is not so Great” it clearly states: “Anyone can add subtle nonsense or accidental misinformation to articles that can take weeks or even months to be detected and removed.”     

Wikipedia as a research tool is risky; however, it can serve as a starting point. It provides an array of up-to-date information, and the potential for this information to lead to other sources that possibly include more credible ideas. The fact that Wikipedia emphasizes in their article “Why Wikipedia is not so great,” that “misinformation can take weeks or even months to be detected and removed," presents the idea that although highly informational Wikipedia is not favorable as a sole research tool. An article entitled “Wikipedia Founder Discourages Academic Use of His Creation” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education remarks that Wikipedia’s founder clearly said that Wikipedia is not intended as a serious research tool. This single statement presents enough evidence to discourage the use of Wikipedia for Research.

1. Personal Firewall: - The firewall is the gateway to the Internet, so appropriately, it is the first step of reinforcement a PC needs. A reliable firewall is necessary to prevent unauthorized access to your personal computer. It is recommended that you either purchase a legal Firewall software, or get ones that are Freeware. Popular freeware firewalls today are :-

• Comodo Firewall Pro
• PC Tools Firewall Plus
• Sygate Personal Firewall

1. Anti-Virus:-. Again, its better to use legal softwares, either by purchase or using freeware, rather than cracked versions of popular anti Viruses such as Norton or McAfee Anti Virus. Some of the best freeware Anti-Virus are :-
   • Avira Anti Vir Personal
   • Avast! Home edition
   • AVG Anti Virus

The above softwares keep your computers free of Viruses as well as Trojans.

3. Anti-Spyware/Malware :- These are softwares installed stealthily(without the owner's consent) on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer. For ex. Spywares are notorious for logging keys used by a user, and sending vital information to the “hacker”, such as Credit card numbers, important passwords etc. Recommended anti-Spywares are :-

• PC Tools Spyware Doctor
• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

All of the softwares mentioned above can be downloaded from the Internet, by searching from google.com or other engines. On a personal note, I would remark that it is better to use individual softwares for the above functions, as mentioned above, than a single software that performs all three functions. This is because :-

• 1. Package softwares are much larger in size, and slow down your computer.
  • 2. They might not be as efficient in all three fields, while when choosing individual softwares, you can go for the ones with the best ratings.
  • 3. Package softwares are all proprietary i.e. they are to be purchased, while the above softwares are freeware and perfect legal.

A final word of advice - please do a bit of research(good 'ole Google) on any software you are about to download and install, many softwares meant for protection actually are harmful themselves!

I sat and thought about why I was suddenly receiving them and it dawned on me that the only thing new was that I had opted to receive correspondeces from these sites affiliates. It is not mandatory that you check that little box next to the fine print that offers you mailings of discounts and news, but each time I clicked it and went on with the sign-up process. They are clever in their placements and how the byline is worded to increase the chance that you will say yes to their offers of freebies and coupons and all "the new exciting products or services our affiliates offer". We all want to stay up-to-date and possible receive something for free so we all check that little box and go along our merry way hoping to be the next big winner.

Since realizing this mistake I no longer checked the affiliate boxes when I sign-up for a program or newsletter and my spam has greatly decreased since. Be especially vigilant when taking the hundreds of various quizes online, although they are free most of them have this little box just waiting for you to check it so they can explode your inbox with anything from "Free Personal Friend Finders" to "you just won a new laptop, click here to redeem". If you don't have the time to check your emails daily these spam mailings can eat up your free space and cause your account to be shut-down until you clean it out. Do what I have done and "Just Say No" to the affiliate question and save yourself the time and headaches before they ever become a nuisance.

Go Into Business for Yourself

There are many ways to go into business for yourself. For one, you can sell products (your own or someone else’s). Say you like to bake. You can post pictures of what you bake and have people call you at your house or cell. Be sure you put out a limit on what you are selling; otherwise you may end up feeling overwhelmed. If you're not comfortable selling items online, you can spread fliers around about your product or spread it around by word of mouth. Once that gets around, you'll have people beating down your door trying to get your product. You can also sell someone else's product, this way you won't have to do much. You only have to sign up and get someone to buy the product. It's that simple.

Build Your Own Website

You can build your own website. All you have to do is type into a search engine "make your own free website" and get alot of people to look at it. When people look at your website, advertisers will be jumping through hoops to advertise on your page.

Go Old School: Babysit

Go back to your roots and babysit. Did you know you can make anywhere from $0 - $15 an hour babysitting? So do what you have to. Make a difference (and a little cash) and babysit. 

Walk Dogs and Other Animals

Nowadays people are lazy and can't even walk their dog or other animal. They'll pay people $5 - $10 to take their dog/other animal for a short walk. As a plus, you could tone up physically.

Complete Survey Websites

Working on survey websites can provide big money, especially if you're over 18. One great website you can visit, if you're over 18, is vindale research.com. They once offered me $50.00 for one survey. Their surveys never give out low amounts of money. Another website, for ages 14 and up, is surveyhead.com. They offer a $5.00 sign up bonus and you can collect your money after you get $25 in your account. You can find many surveys here and here. You can also email me and I'll set you up on a great, FREE website. 

My second frustration over the internet : Job Search sites! Sign up with us and let work come to you it says! It takes about a good few hours to sign up as you need to fill in your details, add CV, meanwhile loads of errors have occurred and you've had to start again. After all that, the really frustrating part, you get an email, but was it about a job? No! They just wanted to send loads of junk mail to your email address.

My third frustration over the internet : Slyness! Free movie downloads they say! So you sign up, download whatever needs to be downloaded, search through all the films, an hour later your ready to download a movie when all of a sudden you have to pay an annual subscription to watch films for fee.

My forth frustration with the internet : Sending me in circles! For example I'm looking up photographers but its for my pet, so I click on the link for pet photography but it's still incorrect so I have to go back and try again and again and again and still won't end up with pet photography.

My fifth frustration with the internet : Misleading search descriptions! Buy Christmas gifts here it says! Click on it and for some reason you find yourself on a dating website, not what you were looking for at all.

To be continued........

A very creative idea by an aspiring YouTube video maker is very funny.  Although I do recommend this to your friends if non of them are easily offended, women, or can't take jokes.   I can definitely see why this video is so popular.  It has a nice, catchy beat, very well written lyrics, and a perfect singer for the song.

Normal Instant Messaging Conversation

Believe it or not, this video was made by that young guy in the video.  I don't think he is even legal enough to drive!  Anyways, I really laughed when I first saw this video, and to this day it is still making me chuckle every time I see it.  I really think that this video, and the kid making it, deserves way more veiws for this hilarious video.

Dramatic Chipmunk

This video just puzzles me.  The title of this article is "Top YouTube Videos Sweeping the Internet," but I never said they were going to be funny or entertaining.  I dont understand why this video even has more than 10 views.  I guess it is just one of those popular internet memes that catches like wildfire and everyone uses them.

Evolution of Dance

Easily one of the best, if not the best YouTube video ever made.  This funny, yet realistic portrayal of the evolution of dance hits the nail on the head.  Really, I wouldn't be surprised if this guy makes it in Hollywood.  He has some serious talent.  I can't begin to imagine how he got over 100 million veiws.  Oh wait, I can.  That video is freaking hilarious!

The principal behind Mechanical Turk seems like a brilliant one at first glance.  Having business owners assign administrative tasks in an outsourcing capacity so that they have less initial overhead.  Workers sign in and pick and choose the tasks that they would like to complete.  It’s simple, no resumes, no job interviews, no major hassles, just log in and make a few extra bucks in your spare time while working from home…or not.

The reality is that when you log on to Mechanical Turk for the first time with your wide eyed optimism and cheshire grin you are greeted with glaring, evil taskmasters, with cattail whips offering you slave wages amounting to $0.01 - $0.04 per minute for tasks that will take you between 1 – 2 minutes to complete.  Now, I’m no mathematician, but at that rate you’re making a whopping $0.60 to $2.40 per hour.  This wasn’t my idea of extra money.  

I slaved away at various tasking for a little over a month and was able to net a little over $600.00 in my struggle.  However this was attained working 10 hour days at least 6 days a week while taking part in my Mechanical Turk experiment, and graduating from novice to expert user in the process.  I quickly learned which assignments to take, what paid and had a mathematical equation on what I would need to do per hour to earn a minimum of $10.00 per hour.  The bad news is that I rarely made this hourly goal. 

You find yourself competing with a multitude of overseas workers willing to accept and toil away for hours at these mundane and low paying tasks, to be paid the equivalent of their earnings in Amazon.com gift cards as opposed to local currency.   However to someone at Amazon, this business plan seems to make perfect sense as Mechanical Turk is still going strong coming upon its 3rd year in practice. 

As long as there are people willing to accept the work for the sub par wages that are offered on the Mechanical Turk forum, and since Amazon.com won’t do anything to set a minimum limit to have individuals post their work on the site, there is no end in site to the fleecing of Mechanical Turk’s workers.   At the end of the day, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is officially an old school sweatshop, hardcoded in HTML.

1. Look at the Hot Content- See what everyone on that list is writing about to find out what the viewers are interested in.
2. Write about things that interest you- There are plenty of people in the world who are interested in things you're interested in; maybe they'll find your article.
3. Use images- People love looking at pictures with the articles. It helps to comprehend the articles.
4. Use the Triond guidelines- You can't go wrong when you use the advice of the website creaters. As a plus, it makes writing the articles so much easier.
5. Use as many keywords and tags as possible- People will be able to find your work quick and easy.
6. Write as many articles as you can- The more you write, the better chance you have of making money.
7. Change up your topics- Don't just write about one type of thing. This way you'll appeal to all types of people, expanding your money.
8. Promote yourself- Tell all of your friends to look at your page, blog, use your Myspace or Facebook to get yourself out there and get people to view your page(s).
9. Make lists- People love reading list!
10. Be patient- Sometimes people won't get on Triond or the other sites. Give it time and people will be all over your papers.

Remember to use these tips and you'll be making money in no time.

Like the pieces of a puzzle, some small, some larger, others merely slivers. The larger ones, obviously the more stable times of my life. The littler ones days, hours, minutes, perhaps just a thought. Yet all in their turn with something to say. Dare I look? Opening shadows of truth, buried so long ago. Natural curiosity got the best of me, and look I did. And what I saw were indeed glimpses of my past. I must warn you I was a child of the sixties, and I did my fair share of substances I was not supposed to do.

What if anything does have to do with my story you would ask. What man made substances did back then, open my mind, show visions and colors and such, I no longer need. Because a found I had a gift, an insight not always available to those around me without some type of catalysis. I can feel those around me, put myself in their shoes. I can see the past, mistakes that were made. Incredible errors of judgment. And I can, on a clear day, see the future.

In that small piece of glass that holds the future, I looked and I was afraid. Are you? You should be. Man being steward of the earth has done a shoddy job. Driven by greed, he has turned a blind eye for much too long. I personally think it's too late. It will be a terrible thing when and if history looks back upon our time. How can I apologize to my children s' children? I didn't know any better, I didn't see it, I was unaware... Excuses nothing more. And He who dwells among the stars. What will He say? It's easy to blame, not take the blame. One of our most human of faults. It's also easy to get salvation. Believe in my way and "yea shall be saved". Save this! I'm sorry, I do not like the maze of cults we call religion. Never did. Too much blood has been spilled in His name. I know that's not what He intended.

I do not mean to preach, obviously a play on words, only tell what I see. Is there time to change? Don't ask me, ask yourselves, the next time you get in your cars and look in the mirror.....

Too little said, too much to say, again I'll write another day.

Mindtaster