If you’re a writer or you know someone who is, there is an amazing interview with an actual literary editor up at my sis-in-law’s blog: Interview With an Editor
It lets you into the mind of an editor which is always good when you are trying to get one to accept your work! You’ll hear me mention her stuff from time to time. Her blog is called: All Rileyed Up.
These are just 10 tips, I have lots to say on and making money. You can be making money there too with your blog. If you haven’t joined yet, please use the button in my sidebar here as I get a referral fee when you post your first paid post. You get $20. Why not go for it? Oh, and if you get stuck, just contact me!
Care to add to this list? I sure would appreciate it! My internet goes down from time to time and I need all the help I can get.
We have a pool and we swim in it often. Unfortunately if we want music out there we have to lug a piano bench with our boom box on it. it’s about 2 minutes of hassle for pure heaven. well, then there is always lugging it back. One of these days i will invest in a waterproofed outdoor system. i am sure I must because music by the pool is an experience to die for. Right now as I type this I hear ABBA’s “Chiquitita” out there and my wife is swimming.
I have so many memories of music by pools throughout my life. Of course I will never forget Guadalajara Mexico in the Summer of 1996. They had a great sound system by the pool where we stayed and they played some Ricky Martin albums over and over. as a result, his “She’s All I Ever Had” stands today as one of my favorite songs. Then there is always Arizona at the hotel I stayed in while visiting the Grand Canyon. I remember the heat and Chicago (the band) playing. Those horns will stay with me forever. Great band great times. Now y wife is out there making her memories. Do you have a memory to share?
I write these posts monthly to inform and entertain my readers about the progress of this blog.
I base my goals and progress on 3 criteria:
Circulation, Analytics, and Net
August Goals are:
Circulation: 1 incoming link in the form of a guest blog.
Analytics: 600 visitors for the month.
Net: $10 not possible since paid post companies require at least 20 posts within the last 90 days. Will work on getting this met and applying in August as my NET goal.
Watch how I do in August.
My opinions are steadfast at times and even stubborn. This is despite the fact that I know opinions are not reliable in rhetoric unless used in an effective emotional way. I had 2 opinions change tonight: 1) The fact that Google is not 100% evil since they gave me back my pageRank 4 -and- 2) Guitar hero and wii is not evil since I’ve been playing my son’s tonight and it is pretty cool. Had any opinions change lately?
I have to remind myself the people who sell at my door are humans. They seem like the lowest form of life sometimes. Maybe it’s because of my experiences. I wrote months ago at my psychology blog about the Kirby salesman that refused to leave. There have been countless others. One problem is that they are bad salesman. I just had one tonight who would leave. I was in my spa when i came to the door. he was 18-20 thereabouts and I told him right away we didn’t want an alarm. But he took that as a challenge. Who trains the salesmen of the world and why aren’t they teaching them that no thank you means no money will be changing hands. What’s your take on salesmen at the door?
I feel good, as James Brown would sing. I finished 6 weeks of teaching summer school here in the high desert. I had some of the toughest kids in the district and it did a number on me for sure. I am thrilled now however about being able to just rest and vacation and float on my back in my pool! If you live close, come on over. The 8th grade takeaways are
1) call parents actively and early when there are behavior problems and 2) Have candy on hand ALWAYS.
Theres other shop stuff but I won’t bore you with it here. I will be starting (resurrecting) my teaching blog soon so stay tuned for stuff like that there. Oh, and I won a big night out at Chuck-e-Cheese so my kids are gonna be thanking Daddy later tonight when we’re feasting! Of course, teaching has its advantages beyond a few days off in the summer. Did you ever learn a valuable lesson(s) from a tough time at work?
ABBA show at Mama Mia premiere
I just got back from watching Mamma Mia, the musical adapted to the silver screen. My wife has now seen it 3 times and I decided to go and see what the hoopla was all about. Guess what, it’s warranted. This was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. Yes, it was a musical but it was done with so much respect for the music of Abba that is was better than any video on MTV could have ever been.
Meryl Steep does a stellar job as Donna, the mother. The main character, Sophie is played also very well by a relative newcomer named Amanda Seyfried. They are perfect mother daughter match and they sing ABBA songs great! The highlight of the musical acting is through the song: “The Winner Takes it All.” It is such a universal emotion embodied in that song. I related with loss and letting go. I hate to admit this, but I teared up a little like my wife predicted I would. If you see it, focus on that song, I think you’ll agree they knock that one out of the park.
Collin Firth plays one of the dads vying for mother and daughter’s affection. He is hilarious when he reveals he is gay and when he plays the guitar (and I can attest because I play) he is really playing. He forms the chords which is very rare in movies where people play instruments. Another highlight is when Pierce Brosnan, playing another of the men Sam Carmichael, belts out the classic “SOS.”
Mama Mia is a celebration of life and I loved it. A big thumbs up for anyone who loves life, love, and/or ABBA because in my view they are all one in the same.
Today was one of those days teaching where I just go: “Oh yeah.” I remember what I had forgotten: why I do this. To summarize, a set of twins aged 13 had been giving me the hardest time for two weeks. Now going into the third I simply decided I was done taking it. I went through the name on the board routines and all that fun stuff and then I picked up the phone and called their mother.
Why didn’t I do this two weeks ago?
Mom came right in and gave these two giants a verbal beating you don’t see often in ultimate fighting rings. Then she asked me very humbly if I could help her. I listened. She said they don’t live in California but rather in Louisiana and she needed a positive letter for the court to try and get them to live with her. They both said they wanted to stay with her. I was touched. I agreed to do it if the remainder of the year they stayed behaved and it was like a prep school after that.
Days like today keep me going, they recharge my batteries. I’m not a cop so I can’t arrest people. I’m not a judge so I can’t convict people. BUT, teachers do have their tools. How appropriate that an avid blogger like me is getting 2 difficult kids to behave and learn through writing. Like I said, it was a good day.
