The Main Thing is not to Panic...

Are you as sick as I am of hearing about the swine flu? I usually watch the news every day, but I'm getting tired of H1N1 being headline news every night! I want to hear about something else people! I would even rather start hearing about America's health care reform again! Wow...I must be desperate - I never thought I wanted to hear about that again!

Although, some of the news about H1N1 is starting to make me laugh. A couple of days ago I was watching CTV News, and they reported that clinics were giving numbered bracelets to the people in line for the vaccine that needed to have the shot the most - the ones who are more at risk of contracting H1N1. The part that made me laugh was that people are actually scalping their bracelets! So panic has given way to money...isn't that always the way. Don't get any ideas though - health care workers say they will personally put the bracelet on for you if you are at risk of the virus, especially if you have brought your children to get the vaccine.

Does anyone remember SARS? It was only a few years ago, and everyone was in a panic over it, then it all died down, and now no one ever talks about it anymore. I can't help but think that the swine flu will eventually go away, then we will forget about it, just like SARS.

Why do we work ourselves into a panic over things like this? Does no one understand that worrying and being anxious doesn't help? Does this sound familiar to anyone - "Who among you can add a single day to his life by worrying?" Can worrying stop your child from getting sick? If you panic, will it make the line up at the clinic move faster? If you develop an ulcer will you and your family live longer? Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Yet, this is how we live. Not worrying doesn't mean that you don't care or aren't concerned about things - it just means that you know worrying is not going to help the situation. It means that you are rational.

I can't believe I missed so many days of blogging last month. I had forgotten how great it is to be able to voice my opinions about stuff like this without having anyone to argue with me. Although, sometimes I would welcome an opposing opinion...it adds spice to life! Get a blog people! It feels great!

New Post!!!

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since September the 9th! Life has been little crazy lately. but then, life is always crazy, so I guess I can't really use that as an excuse, now can I? Oh well, it's my blog, and its free, so no one can complain! ;) Ever notice how many times people do complain about stuff that they don't have to pay for? Ridiculous, isn't it...

While we are on the topic of things you have noticed, have you ever noticed how life seems to be all about waiting? It seems like we spend our whole lives waiting for things. We wait in line, we wait to get older (only when we are young, of course!) and we wait for things to happen. Sometimes we spend whole days wishing we were in next week or next month already.

Remember the story about the man who was given a spool of magical thread? All he had to do when he wanted to go to the future was pull the thread. If he pulled it out a little bit, he would skip a few hours or days, and if he pulled it a lot he could skip weeks, months or even years. So, every time he got impatient about something, he would pull the thread. For example, he couldn't wait for his daughter to be born, so he pulled the thread and skipped forward 9 months. He kept doing this all throughout his life, and when he came to end of his life, he realized that he had missed most of his life because he skipped over all of the waiting.

Instead of being impatient when you have to wait for something, try enjoying the wait. Waiting is a part of life, and here in North America, our culture hates waiting. They say that you can always tell when a North American is in a line up somewhere in Africa or the Caribbean. Line ups can go on for hours in these countries because the people don't mind waiting - they have all the patience in the world. Meanwhile, someone from North America gets in line and acts all jittery, sighing and fidgeting with impatience, and you can almost see the ulcer forming as he waits!

How Addicted are You?

I wonder if anyone actually realizes how addicted they are to their computer...I'm sure if you sat down and thought about it, you may be surprised at how much time you actually spend at your computer - especially if you have a laptop! I went to visit a friend's family recently, and instead of talking to one another, everyone sat around on their laptops and did their own thing while the TV blared on in the background.

I too, have fallen prey to the computer addiction - now I can't even watch TV without being on my laptop at the same time! However, I could argue that I'm exempt from any addiction statistics since I make my living off of my computer...but unfortunately, I am in way over my head, so I can't really excuse myself!

A few days ago my laptop refused to boot up, and if I had a Loonie for every time I went to go on my laptop in one afternoon, I would be a rich girl! (I was going to say "if I had a dollar, but I figured I might as well be Canadian about it!) We have certainly become a society that is dependent (and addicted!) to technology, and we like it! It is definitely a time consuming addiction though, and one that separates us from our loved ones instead of bringing us closer together.

This evening, break the routine of getting on the computer right away after supper. Spend time with your family or go to see a friend that you haven't talked to in a while. Let me know how your technology-free evening goes - I will be right here, on my laptop the whole time! What? I make my living on this laptop, and you are going to have to tear it out of my cold, dead hands before I'll let you take it away! ...ahem... did I say that out loud?

Adventures in Ottawa...

I am 26 years old, and I haven't been to the nation's capital yet. That is, until a week ago, when I finally visited family in Ottawa, and I was surprised at how beautiful the city is! We saw the Rideau Canal, went up in the Peace Tower, and had a tour of the Royal Canadian Mint. It was all fun, but the tour was a bit cramped, what with all of the people who weren't wearing any deodorant who crowded around the windows, hogging the view of the fascinating coin making process!

After spending way too much money in the Sugar Mountain Candy Store (I felt like a kid again!), we walked for an unbelievably long time around downtown Ottawa, seeing the sights, some very "interesting" people, and getting very painful blisters on my feet from the wrong choice of footwear. Never wear flip flops for walking in - unless its a 15 minute walk...

Cheap night still applies in Ottawa, so we went to see Post Grad. It was pretty good - one of those different movies, the kind that I usually enjoy the most. HOWEVER! We couldn't help but be distracted by the overly affectionate couple who chose to sit in the middle of the theater, making out throughout the whole movie!! I thought they couldn't get any closer together, until she moved to his lap and stayed there...wow..we tried to take a picture of them for my blog, (I would've posted it on here too!) but unfortunately I didn't think of it until after the movie started and it was too dark to get anything. :(

I spent too much money (as usual!) but I really enjoyed the time with family and seeing Ottawa was great, so I would do it all over again! If you haven't seen our country's capital, go see it - it's worth it. We meant to get up early one morning and see the changing of the guards, but we never made it - actually we never made it to bed earlier that 2am...that's what you get when you put 3 Davis cousins together!

It was probably better that we didn't make it to the changing of the guards anyway - I definitely would've embarrassed my cousins by saying something to the guards, or shouting "BOO!" to try and get a facial expression out of them! As it was, I embarrassed them a bit, and they had to stop me from a few other things - apparently something happens to me when I'm with my cousins. I seem to lose some rather important inhibitions and stop caring what the public thinks of me when I'm with my cousins, and I'm not sure why, but it sure makes things interesting!

I Found a Roomie!!!

Well, after months of searching for a roommate, I finally have someone moving into the bedroom downstairs. (Main floor, not basement.) And what a search it has been! I had ads on every free website I could think of - kijiji.ca, roommates.com, I pasted it on Facebook a few times, told everyone I know, and I called the local churches in the area and asked them if anyone in their congregation was looking for a room.

Out of all those things, I didn't think I would find a roommate through calling the churches! But wouldn't you know, one of them put it up on their bulletin board, and someone saw it and told someone who doesn't even go to that church about it, and now I have a roomie!

I had to weed out a few weirdos before I found someone I clicked with too. One in particular was very interesting...and by interesting, I mean that I would rather live in a cardboard box in the river than share a house with her! She was telling me what to do within seconds of walking through the front door! She was sarcastic, bossy and a little rude as well. My neighbors, who happen to be my Aunt and Uncle took a peek at her when she drove up and they could tell just by looking at her that she was a no!

We concluded that she must have been recently divorced and was very bitter about it. Hopefully she doesn't have any children!

I had another person coming to see the room a couple of hours after her, and I was a bit nervous! If I had to put up with 2 people like her, I think I would have called it quits... The next girl was like a breath of fresh air in comparison though, and she moves in Sept 1.

I have lived alone for 2 years now, so I'm not sure what this new living situation will be like, but hopefully I've made the right choice. After all, I don't want to become too set in my ways or anything - someone once told me that living alone makes it harder to adjust when you get married. So maybe a roommate will teach me to compromise and get me used to having to think about someone else's needs for a change...let's just hope that I don't hate it!

I do want to get married someday when the right guy comes along, and if he ever asks my roommate what it was like to live with me, hopefully her answer won't send him a-running!

I guess the Honeymoon is Over!

You can make some of the people happy some of the time, but you can't make all of the people happy all of the time. Everyone who has ever been elected President of the United States must know this truth better than anyone else!

Everyone loves you on the campaign trail, on Inauguration Day and up to the first couple of months after election. After that, approval ratings start going down and you become the prime target of Letterman, O'Brien and Fallon. The worse the President's ratings are, the better theirs are!

Why can't we be happy with the person that we elected into office? Why do we assume that they are perfect and can do no wrong? We must assume that, because we get so upset when they make a mistake! Now, I agree that when someone is leading the country, they should do their very best to be a good role model, and we are sadly lacking this with many politicians these days. Barack Obama appears to be a pretty good role model however, and I think we should stop complaining and get behind the man that we elected into office a few months ago! (Would you rather have George W back?) :P

Come on Americans, Barack Obama won the Presidency by a landslide - and you made that happen! The honeymoon period is over, and his approval ratings are falling steadily. Do you think you made a mistake? If you are not happy with some of his decisions, contact your congressman and be the change you want to see. If all you do is sit at home complaining about what is happening in your country, you will never see the change you want. If all you do is complain no matter who you vote for, then keep your complaints to yourself!

We need to get a better attitude about our leadership in America; remember, no one is perfect, and no matter how much you like a person, they will let you down at some point. You can't control the actions of anyone else, but you can control your reaction!

You know what they say about assuming...

I wonder why we always assume the worst in most situations. How many of you think you're in for something good when someone tells you that they need to talk to you? Or how about when your boss asks you to step into his office for a minute? Even when it is a friend or family member that needs to talk to us, we automatically start racking our brains, trying to think what we did wrong that day!

I had an experience like that a couple of days ago, when one of my writing clients emailed me with this message: "Please call me at: ### ### ####." Well, I immediately started to worry! I had just started working for this client, and I couldn't think of anything I could have done wrong in such a short period of time. Nevertheless, I had that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach as I dialed the number, and I tried my best to keep my voice from shaking when she answered the phone...

It was about a raise in pay! She had referred me to another part of the company that paid a lot more for writing than the articles that she had me writing. All of my anxiety was for nothing.

Sometimes it will be bad news that you get, but even so, there is still no need to panic. 99% of the time, problems can be worked out, and you will walk away feeling okay.

Why Don't They Just Ask Us?

Health care seems to be the "hot topic" now, probably ever since Michael Moore had the guts to make a documentary about it! If I recall, America's health care system came out under Cuba's!

As a Canadian, I am proud to say that we are number 2 in the world in regards to our health care. True, on a government sponsored health care system the waiting time is a LOT longer, but as a Canadian citizen, I can feel good knowing that no matter where I am in this country, I will be taken care of if something happens. There are many people who would never be able to afford health care if it were to be privatized. If it ever came down to a hospital bill of thousands (or hundreds of thousands. as it is in a lot of cases) of dollars, or a 2 hour wait, I've got a lot more time than money!

I've been hearing the discussions and debates about Barack Obama's plan to reform America's health care system, and to be honest, sometimes it just makes me laugh. They are so scared of this plan being put into place! Do they not know that public health care works in a lot of countries? Don't they realize that they have a neighbour that has done it successfully for years? They could call in a favor and just ask us for some advice - I'm sure we could help them out quite a bit. And I'm sure we would as well. Even if they asked rudely, we are nice people! We would still gladly help out.

But...like most big brothers, they are too used to helping the little brother, and probably think that little brother can't help them...

Hopefully they do eventually reform their health care, so that millions of people can afford to go to the hospital when they are ill or injured. (Americans are well known for being proud to be Americans, but when that guy in Michael Moore's film "Sicko" found out it would cost him $72,000 to sew two fingers back on, I'll bet he wished he had been born somewhere else!)

Please get a grip America...let's move onto something else. The only people fighting the reform are the rich anyways, because they are scared of being treated just like everybody else.

I'm My Own Boss! Wait A Minute...

I've been "working from home" for a few weeks now, and I must admit, the dream job situation does have its challenges. There are so many different distractions around here! Why is it that we would rather clean, dust, vacuum, (blog,) do dishes, organize, fold laundry, unpack boxes, hang pictures, etc, than work? It doesn't matter what kind of work either - and in my case, it's writing.

I have always wanted to be able to stay at home and support myself freelance writing. Now (finally!) it looks like I'll be able to do that with a part-time job teaching 2 days a week to supplement my income. However, it takes discipline - and a lot of it! Being my own boss is great, but I really need to start listening to myself. Hmmm, maybe if I threatened to fire myself I would be more on the ball...

I grew up as an only child, so I'm used to being alone. I always had to play alone, and I was pretty good at making up for the lack of siblings. I even played board games with myself (somehow I always won...I'll let you think about that one ;) So, it makes sense that I would want to work by myself, but to be honest, it was a lot easier when I was a child - probably because playing is always more fun than working! ;)

Don't get me wrong though; I love writing, and it doesn't even matter what I'm writing about. Sometimes I write about fun topics, but there are a lot of times when I have to write 500 words on the most boring subjects, but once I start writing, it always feels good - feels write. Oops, I mean it feels right. (Just a little writer's humor there for you!)

It's hard to go to work at a "normal" job day in and day out when you've known what your dream is since a young age. (I was 5 when I knew I wanted to be a writer.) But it's way too easy to put your dreams on the back burner and forget about them. Maybe they don't seem realistic, or maybe your family or friends think you'll never make it - whatever the reasons are, you are afraid to step out and take a risk. I have 2 words for you: "DO IT!" Even if you have to work full-time and do what you love part-time, do it! Don't live a life of regrets - live a full and satisfying life, and do what you were born to do.

Wanna Buy Some Death Sticks?

Well, I'm all moved in, and loving the new place! It's great to be so close to family members that I haven't spent enough time with the last couple of years...

They came over to watch Star Wars last night ("Wanna but some death sticks?" "You don't want to sell me death sticks." "Uhhh, I don't wanna sell you death sticks." "You want to go home and rethink your life." "Uhh, I wanna go home a rethink my life.") Best part in the movie! I always seem to like the little, insignificant parts in movies the best!

One of these days I'm going to have to write a post in español. I've been learning the language of love for over a year now, and I guess it's about time I show off a bit! ;)

Well, this is a very random post, but it feels good to get back to blogging after being too busy for the last month!

Will Post Soon!!

Sorry all...I am in the middle of moving, and I haven't had time to post anything new on here, but things should settle down soon, and then I will go back to being regular...I promise!

Miss California Uses Freedom of Speech

I can't believe how much controversy there has been in the last few weeks over one simple answer to one simple question. I'm talking of course, about Miss California's surprising stand on gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant.

I didn't follow the pageant at all, but I sure heard about it! People are saying that Carrie Prejean should have known her judges and answered the question accordingly, but if that is what contestants should do, then what is the point of having questions as a part of the competition? Perez Hilton started the question with the words, "In your opinion..." Well, she gave her opinion. When you ask for someone's opinion, you cannot get upset when they give it! That is not how it works...

If the judge had worded the question differently, for example, "Tell me what I want to hear..." what would people be saying about that? Probably that the judge had taken the integrity out of the question by asking it that way. Yet, people expected Carrie to lie and tell them what they wanted to hear - to say what was politically correct.

Standing up for what you believe in should never be looked down on - no matter what. People always come down on Christianity for being intolerant, but they don't realize that they are being intolerant when they don't let Christians have an opinion. There is tolerance for every religion under the sun, but there is no tolerance for Christianity. And there never will be, according to the Bible.

Here in North America we are blessed to be able to express our opinions, and have freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We can choose what we want to believe and how we want to live our lives. There are many countries where this is not possible because people are not free to have an opinion. So the next time you start to judge a Christian because of what they believe, think about what it would be like if your country suddenly took away freedom of religion. Freedom is only freedom when it applies to everyone - even Christians.

Besides, its not like Miss California was rude or degrading - she expressed her opinion very respectfully. Barack Obama is extremely well-liked, and he said the exact same thing in a speech not too long ago...but I don't remember any controversy surrounding him!

What's Up With the Foonie?

I've been hearing little snippets every now and again for the last couple of years about Canada getting rid of the five dollar at bill. Now, this alone wouldn't be that bad, although I would miss the pretty blue color... However, I keep hearing that they are going to replace it with a five dollar coin!

Really? Do they think we need more change weighing our pockets and purses down? Who makes these decisions? We have the Loonie - classic Canadian dollar, then they surprised us with the Toonie, which has worked out well. However, the only name I am hearing for this supposed five dollar coin is the "Foonie." Now this is just taking things too far in my opinion! America already thinks we're geeky enough without adding this to the mix... (not that I really care what they think of us, but still!)

Since I've been hearing about this for quite some time now, I don't actually think they are going to do it - at least I hope not! But who knows? Maybe it's all part of the plan to "go green." I don't know how many trees will be saved by replacing thousands of bills that have already been made, and I think that minting coins is more expensive than printing bills, but I'm sure they will make only good and wise decisions when it comes to how to spend our money.

So here's to the Foonie - our tax dollars, hard at work!

Who Has the Power?

It's amazing how much we are dependent on technology. If any one of us had to be transported 200 years back in time, I don't believe we would make it! After knowing what its like to have everything at our fingertips, and never having to wait longer than 3 minutes for anything, I think we would slowly go insane without everything we have become accustomed to.

The power went out at work the other day, and it surprised me how much I take it for granted. Even though I knew there was no power, I still kept trying to turn things on without thinking; things like the microwave, the stove, the computer and the TV. I knew the lights were out, and I never tried to turn them on, but my subconscious hadn't yet realized that everything else wasn't working as well.

Remember Y2K? Everyone was in a panic because if the computers were to go down, life as we know it would cease to exist. Scary, isn't it? I mean, if the world came to a sudden halt, just because some machines stopped working, who is running things? Us or them? (It's just a thought...)

Inconceivable!

Yesterday I watched The Princess Bride for what had to be the millionth time...Ok, so maybe I exaggerated a bit! It is the only movie that never gets old, no matter what. A timeless classic...move over Disney!

Since I'm learning Espanol and I can probably quote this movie line for line, I decided to watch it in Spanish. I ended up switching it back to English (with Spanish subtitles!) about halfway through, (the Miracle Max part) because there are just some times when you need the original voices! (Inconceivable!)

The Princess Bride. It has everything: romance, satire, and of course, mawwiage and love - twue wove! If you haven't seen the special features yet, go ahead and watch them. Criminal Minds' Mandy Patinkin, who played Inigo Montoya, actually cries as he talks about how proud he is that he was a part of the movie. I never knew his name was Mandy before, and while I respect him as an actor, I don't know how he made it through life with his name! What were his parents thinking? No wonder he cries easily...

I Googled the book, and could not find the original anywhere; only the abridged movie version is available. As I searched, I came across a title that I had to check out - "The Totally Geeky Guide to the Princess Bride." Thank goodness the website let me read a few pages of the book...it was hilarious, but I think the author, MaryAnn Johanson, took it a bit too far!

She basically said that we can apply the ideals in the movie to any situation in life. Some carry over, but not all...I mean, who would want to waste their life on revenge? Anyways, it was still an interesting book, but not something I would spend money on. The original Princess Bride book however, I would gladly fork over a few dollars for - if I could FIND IT!!!

Name or No-Name?

Is there a difference between the name brand and the no-name brand? I recently went to the store to buy allergy pills, and in the past, I have always saved a couple of dollars by buying the no-name brand. Sometimes I saved more than a couple of dollars, since the price of certain name brand medication is very over-priced!

In the last few weeks however, I've been bombarded with TV commercials for Benadryl, Reactine, Claritin and all the rest of the allergy meds out there. So, for the first time I was actually thinking about branching out and trying one of those names instead of my usual pills that have worked great for years! (How commercials rob us of our sense and logic...)

I spent a few minutes looking at the smorgasbord of allergy pills on the shelf, and then I decided to ask the pharmacist. I told him my allergy symptoms, and asked him if the no-name brand was as good as Benadryl, Claritin and Reactine. Let me tell you, none of those TV commercials could have prepared me for what he told me!

He cleared his throat, nervously looked over his shoulders and then said, "I shouldn't be telling you this, but... (How many times have I heard that delicious phrase!) ...the no name brand is no different than any of the name brands - in fact, it actually can be better for you."

Well, you could have knocked me down with a baseball bat. ;) My only regret is that I didn't ask him how the no-name brand is better for you...or maybe I didn't really want to know the answer to that one! I walked away once again having saved myself a few dollars, and I am once again using my trusty no-name allergy pills. (That work!)

It's amazing how much trust we put into "them." Who are "they?" The people or companies who tell us that something is good for us, or is needed by our bodies. How do we know they are telling us the truth? But I could write a novel on this topic, so I think I will save it for another day!

What Are Hashtags?

I am sitting here teaching someone how to blog and as I am talking, she keeps giving me strange looks, like I am speaking another language. When did the internet create a whole new way of communicating? 5 or 10 years from now, I am sure that dictionaries will have an entire different list of words, like blogosphere, networking, Twitterific, hashtags, Googling, etc. (I have been wondering what hashtags are for a while now...)

I guess its not enough that teenagers have to have a language that their parents (or even people just a few years older) can't understand - now anyone under the age of 30 uses words that mean absolutely nothing to the "old" generations.

Apparently I have fallen prey to this new way of speaking, and I don't think there is anything I can do about it - actually, I don't mind it...much. Sometimes it is a bit frustrating to have to explain myself to people older than 30, and then have to explain my explanations as well, but when they look at me with awe, it makes up for it! (However, the more you know, the more they ask you...) If you know it, they will come!

By the way, my friend ended up starting her blog, in spite of me and my internet spiel! Check it out at: jeshuashealing.blogspot.com.

My Gem of a Phone (Pun intended!)

I just got a new cell phone, and I must say, I never thought I could have this much love for an inanimate object! My lovely Blackberry Pearl is my new favorite toy. I've had it for a few days, but I think I'll still be finding new things it can do months from now.

It is basically a mini computer. I can download (upload?) Excel, Word or PowerPoint docs from my computer to my cell, work on them, save them and then email them - and all from my phone! Wow. I can't believe that just 20 years ago (in my lifetime) cell phones were called car phones and were bigger than some of the home phones we use today. Amazing, isn't it? In the last 100 years alone we have seen more technological advances than in the last 1000 years...

But back to my Blackberry...I have never been the type to read the instruction manual - that would be far too easy! Instead, I stumble along, discovering new things by accident along the way. Doing it this way takes a little longer, but hey, I get that "I did it myself" feeling. ;) If I had been born 600 years ago, (and born a man) I probably would have been the explorer who set the record for most miles traveled without finding anything!

So if you are looking for a cell phone that will give your life new meaning, pick the Blackberry Pearl - it is well worth the high price - I can say that because I didn't have to pay a cent for mine!

Hmmm, Blackberry ought to send me some free stuff for all this promotion!

Like Mother, Like Daughter?

Is it inevitable? Do we even have a choice of whether or not we turn into our parents? Lately I've been having these odd sort of Deja Vu moments, but not the kind where you think you've done this before; the kind where you've seen someone else do it. Namely, my mother!

The older I get (not that I'm old by any means!) the more I notice I'm saying and doing things that I never thought I would - things that my mother always said and did. This genetic "copycat" behavior has even penetrated into the littlest of things, like what I do when I rinse my fingers at the sink, how I say certain things and what I do when I'm on the phone.

When I was a teenager, I was (or I tried to be) the opposite of my mom, but things changed when I grew up, and now my mother is also my friend. That was a little weird for me at first, and sometimes it still doesn't seem natural, but I'm getting used to it! However, the more I "get to know her", the more I'm realizing I'm just like her!

I can't help but wonder how much of this we have control over. Are we genetically predisposed and/or environmentally predisposed to become our parents, or is it a choice we subconsciously make? In my opinion, it is completely genetic/environmental because we do it without even realizing that we are copying our parents' behaviors.

I guess I should take a good, long look at my mother and resign myself to the fact that slowly but surely, I am becoming just like her! Don't get me wrong, my mom is great, and she has many admirable qualities. I just never thought that all of the little things she says and does would someday be my little things as well!

Like mother, like daughter and like father, like son. How far does it go back? When I copy my mom's way of rinsing her fingers, is that how her great, great grandmother did it too? I wonder if she has noticed the little behaviors that her mother passed down to her...

To answer my first question, I guess it is inevitable. There are just certain things we cannot change, no matter how hard we try! And when I have a daughter of my own, she will find herself shocked at the fact that she is caught in the cycle as well - she'll probably rinse her fingers differently too, and doodle the same word over and over again while she is on the phone. She may never even realize that those actions are not her own!

What (or Who) Are Internet Ghosts?

Friends, there are ghosts among us... Not the spooky, white sheet kind of ghosts, but the low-paid, desperate kind.

How many times are you on the internet in a typical week? How many Google searches do you make? How many articles do you read about the topics you've searched? I would hazard a guess that at least 80-90% of the population now researches and asks their questions on the net pretty often. Some people build up a trust with a particular author and follow their articles regularly.

I have some news that may shock you. Or it may not surprise you at all, considering the standards we have grown accustomed to as a society. That news is that chances are, the articles you read on the internet, are probably NOT written by the person whose name is attached to them!

Who wrote them? Freelance writers, that's who. Freelance writers who need the extra money and don't think about the consequences. Freelance writers...like me!

The consequence of being an "internet ghost" are discovered one day, when you are Googling something, you come across a cleverly written piece that makes you sit back and say, "that is a good article...sounds like something I would write myself! Must be a more good writers out there after all." Unfortunately, when you take a closer look, you realize that you DID write it, and someone else is taking the credit for it!

We don't think of that at the time however; all we think about is the $15, $5 or even $2 we will be getting in return for those 500 words that we can never take back or take as our own. Those 500 words will belong to someone else, and we won't even be able to use them as a reference.

I have written hundreds of these, and it makes me wonder how many so-called writers and authors out there have ever written a single line for themselves. If you are skeptical, Google "freelance writing jobs" and take a gander at how many websites there are devoted to the subject. Then have a look at the job postings - there are almost no employers that want your name on the article.

The part that gets me the most about this is that when you come across those too-familiar words, and you look at the website they are on, usually you realize that you could have written this article yourself, put your name on it and they would have accepted it and published it!

But there are way too many freelancers out there who need the quick buck and are probably too stressed to think about anything other than the bill they can pay with the small amount they are getting paid to remain in the shadows.

I was one of those...once. Now have a job that has nothing to do with writing, but I still have that burning inside of me that only a writer can understand. So I blog...I don't get paid very much for it, but it's MINE! Someday, by the sweat of my brow (or the sweat of my fingers!) I will be able to pay my bills with my writing, and it will be harder to do this way, but I don't want to waste my time promoting other peoples' names anymore. It's my turn!

I don't mean to put down other writers who are ghost-writing...it's not a bad way to get experience, and like I said before, I did it for a few years. The point I want you to walk away with, is don't do it forever! Branch out...your writing deserves to have YOUR name attached to it!

Whatever Happened To?

Has anyone heard anything about Taylor Hicks? I fell in love with him during the fifth season of American Idol (yes, I know that he has gray hair and dances funny, but you can't help who you fall for, okay?), but I haven't heard squat about him since he won.

Personally, I don't think he was right for AI (or Artificial Intelligence for that matter!) :P I know he was struggling, but I think American Idol ruined him. He should have pressed on, and I think eventually he would have made it, and we would be hearing about him! But what do I know...I'm not a struggling musician by any means, and no one knows what they would do until they are actually in the situation they are judging!

So where is he now? We hear about the winners of American Idol all the time - even some of the runners-up. (Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry for example.) The winning process is supposed to be the same for everyone. First you release your first single (that someone else wrote for you), then you do a set of Ford commercials, then your album comes out and you go on tour, do music videos, appear on MTV and the entertainment/late night talk shows. It is a formula that has worked for many, but something went wrong with Taylor Hicks. I think he is making music, but the public seems to have forgotten him completely - sort of like a shooting star, he has disappeared.

Who knows what happened? Maybe he fought the system. Maybe he didn't like the way they took over the song writing. Maybe the American Idol Mafia made off with him in the night...okay, I know that last one was a bit far-fetched!

Where are you Taylor? I would like to see you again, but if you are coming without the old, real you, then I'm no longer interested. I liked the charisma, the gray hair and yes, even the goofy dancing!

Celebrities Are People Too!

I live alone, and before I resort to talking to myself (out loud!) I usually turn on the TV for "company" in the evenings. Lately I've been noticing how many shows are completely devoted to the celebrities of Hollywood. One of them even follows people around with a video camera - and they get paid to do it! How do they get paid for this? They are able to receive what is probably a substantial paycheck because we, the public, watch the shows!

Some of these shows include TMZ, ET, ENews, and there are many more. Not only do we watch these shows, but we want to watch them...we watch them eagerly. But hey, who am I kidding? It's so exciting to see Shia Labeouf sitting outside the drugstore smoking, or see Halle Barry (with no make-up!) out with her child. And I'm simply dying to catch a 4 second interview with Denzel Washington about his latest movie - an interview that is kept until the last 4 seconds of the show!

People, people, why are we watching these celebs when they are out doing NORMAL PEOPLE THINGS? Watch them in the theatre when they are getting paid millions of dollars by all means, but can we leave them alone and let them live their lives when they are at the grocery store?

On a side note, I just did a spell check, and can you believe that the word "celebs" is a real word? Now I am really convinced that the world is run by Hollywood. They have taken over our dictionaries; there is no hope! :P

It Happens Every Time..

Every year, when winter unhooks its cold, cruel claws and the sun crawls out, bringing warmer weather to those who deny winter's existence...every year when I want to be outside enjoying the spring temperatures...every single year about this time I get SICK!!!

It begins with a sore throat, and moves on to a stuffed-up nose and a worse sore throat, all of which keeps me fairly miserable. I would like to know what brings it on (every single year!) and how to put an end to it. :(

I'm back!

Hello Blogosphere!

I am back and it feels good. Loving the warmer weather - it had better stay this time! I've almost given up on listening to the weather people...There, now that I've talked about the weather, I can move on to more important things - like "Facebooking" versus "Tweeting" (Twittering?"). I have given into both and have accounts with both of these well-known time-wasters and I love it. I spend a pathetic amount of time trying to think of things to tweet about, yet I am on Twitter multiple times throughout the day!

One of my last Facebook statuses was "Facebook old. Twitter new and exciting!" I think that about captures what a lot of people are feeling right now. Facebook does have a lot more applications and things to do, but on Twitter you get to have followers! That tends to give people a sense of power (false power, but power nonetheless!) Who among us would rather have friends than followers?

As new and exciting as Twitter is, I am sure that in a couple of years, or maybe even in a few months time there will be a more new and exciting website out there, and Twitter will become a thing of the past for many people. Where does it stop?

On a side note, if you are on Twitter, and you like to tweet, does that make you a Twit? If it does, then I say more people should be Twits!

So maybe it doesn't have to come down to Facebook versus Twitter after all. Facebook, you can have the fun but meaningless applications, quizzes and games, and Twitter, you may continue to give people a reason to wake up in the morning - for now.