Certified Blogaholic

Verne Troyer (Mini Me in Austin Powers) settled the lawsuit he filed against TMZ and Kevin Blatt for publishing clips from his sex tape with ex-girlfriend, Ranae Shrider. The settlement made on Friday (July 18, 2008) amounted to a hefty $20 million dollars.

The footage hit the internet last month and the actor successfully had the tape removed from celebrity website TMZ.com. He sued the website and Kevin Blatt (SugarDVD distributor) claiming violation of his rights by publishing clips from the film.

Troyer’s attorney, Edwin McPherson, revealed that his client’s legal battles are not yet over. They are now planning to amend the lawsuit to prevent Ranae Shrider from releasing the tape. Shrider insists that the video was shot from her equipment and claims partial ownership of the tape. She confessed to the deliberate handing of the video to the media to vindicate Troyer’s alleged infidelity. Of course, the actors denies ever being unfaithful to her.

Now, if you think I have the actual video pasted in my post, stop scrolling down now. This post is weird enough as it is. I can’t get over the idea that even Mini Me could possibly cheat on his partner. Where is the world headed for . . .

The blogosphere is getting bigger and bigger lately as more and more people discover the opportunities open to bloggers worldwide. I get jittery sometimes that there may not be enough opportunities to go around for everyone. As a matter of fact, opportunities at major get-paid-to-blog sites have now come few and far in between. If there were any, the competition is harsh. A slow internet connection will not stand a chance among the hungry bloggers out there.

Fortunately, like most business environments, the blog advertising industry not only has more publishers, get-paid-to-blog sites are also growing. More entrepreneurs are venturing into the business of matching advertisers with bloggers or publishers. The latest newbie in the field is iHype.com and already has good-paying advertisers.

iHype functions similarly to other GPT sites for blog advertising. A blog can subscribe to opportunities that it qualifies to which depends on Page Rank and the Alexa Rating. Upon subscription to an opportunity, the blogger has 7 days to complete the task and payment will be completed upon approval of the task. IHype shows a lot of potential at the onset and hopefully will be a reliable source of oppotunities for bloggers. Go check it out and take advantage of the continuous growth in the blogosphere.

How would you like to have your toes be nibbled for your pedicure? Sounds weird but it’s actually done at Yvonne Hair and Nails Salon in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s called the fish pedicure treatment. Looks ticklish doesn’t it? The little carps are called garra rufa or doctor fish. They eat the dead skin cells on the feet and it is considered the best foot spa treatment to keep your feet soft and smooth. Some say the nibbling also has a calming effect because it feels like your feet are being massaged by tiny little suckers.

The garra rufa was discovered in a hot spring in Turkey and they were found to be the best cure to psoriasis and other skin ailments. The fish would eat away at the dead and infected skin of the feet and hands while the minerals in the hot spring would soothe and cure the affected area.

It’s interesting, don’t you think? I will have to put this on my list of things I should do before I die.

Will Smith tops the highest paid actors in Hollywood for the period June 2007 to June 2008. During the covered period, Smith raked in about $80 million from his movies. His nearest rival is Johnny Depp who made a close $72 million.

With Smith’s latest blockbuster, Hancock, he is now considered the first actor to have 8 straight movies earn more than $100 million at the box office. His earnings for the year boosted male actor revenues over the females by almost 100%. The leading men took in an estimated $487 million over the past 12 months while the leading ladies earned only half at $244.5 million.

Third place belongs to comedians Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy with a tie at $55 million despite their recent box-office tank jobs, The Love Guru and Meet Dave. The fourth spot goes to Leonardo DiCaprio at $45 million, followed by Bruce Willis, with the resurrection of John McClane earning him $41 million. Ben Stiller is next with $40 million, despite having one of his worst performing films to date with last year’s The Heartbreak Kid.

On the feminine side, Cameron Diaz is gets the top spot with $50 million followed by Keira Knightley and Jennifer Aniston at $32 million and $27 million, respectively.

Who says that the real estate crisis in the nation does not have its benefits? For those who have been saving up to build their own home or purchase real estate, now is the perfect time. Some analyst predict that the market will recover in time. By the time your home is finished, the market may have recovered and you could double your investment.

Since now is the perfect time, why not make your home perfect too. Don’t just buy someone else’s dream or get those that have been done for commercial purposes. Customize your home and make it your own. Schumacher Homes make the best value custom built homes in various states. If you are in South Carolina, Schumacher Homes makes the best quality south carolina custom homes. Each facet of the house can be built according to you taste and needs with the best craftsmanship. And the best part is that quality comes with a reasonable price. Build your home now with Schumacher Homes and make your dream become reality.

While The Dark Knight broke weekend box office records, Christian Bale was arrested in London for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister. Bale claims the allegations were false last Tuesday and was released on bail after talking with authorities for 4 hours.

Media reports indicate that Bale’s mother and sister told police that he assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London Sunday night before attending the European premiere of The Dark Knight. The Wales-born actor met with London police voluntarily and denies the allegation as he gave a full account of the events. He left the station without any charge being made against him by the police. He was told to return in September pending further inquiries.

Bale was first recognized as the child star of Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” in 1987 and as an adult has since been known for intense screen roles. Earlier films include “American Psycho” and “The Machinist.” Bale is the youngest in a family of 4, all sisters, and is the stepson of Gloria Steinem, the author and feminist leader.

Bale’s current project is “Terminator Salvation,” playing the role of John Connor which is scheduled for filming in New Mexico this week. He does not have any criminal record in the Los Angeles area, where he lived with his wife, Sibi Blazic, and their young daughter.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a debilitating sickness that affects not only the victim but also those around them. Following my 71-year old mother’s triumphant bout with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), I know what it feels like to have someone you love suffer helplessly from a disease that drastically changes her life. Despite surviving SJS, my Mom is now confined to a bed or a wheelchair. Two months ago, she enjoyed walks to the market, picking up her grandchildren, and cooking for the entire family. Though it is not nearly as debilitating as Alzheimer’s, the helplessness remains the same. Yes, I understand what’s it like to see a parent lose her independence.

Alzheimer’s Association is organizing it’s Memory Walk 2008 to support Alzheimer’s Disease in the nation. It is the largest event organized to raise awareness and funds for the sustenance of research on Alzheimers. It is currently calling on all volunteers to join the endeavor and encourage more supporters to be a part of the 2-3 mile walk. There will be walks in over 600 communities around the nation and the association is now searching for team captains to champion the cause and recruit more citizens to be a part of the event.

It is the objective of the Alzheimer’s Association to move mankind closer to a world without Alzheimer’s and in joining, you support a cause that can affect senior citizens worldwide. You can either find the nearest community that will sponsor a walk or form your own team and encourage others to be part of yours. Join the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk and help build a better life for the generation that has dedicated the best years of their lives making sure we make the best of ours.

Blogging started as a hobby for Dr. Arnold Kim. His blog, MacRumors.com, features gossip and facts about Apple. Although it was a time-consuming hobby, he kept at it while earning his medical degree. He completed his medical degree and began to diagnose kidney problems for patients. With his website attracting 4.4 million people and 40 million views per month, he decided to hang up his stethoscope this month and become a problogger full time. According to Quantcast, it has become the one of the most popular technology website to date.

Now that he has decided to focus his attention on his blog, Dr. Kim believes the potential to earn more from his endeavor will grow further. As with all other people who are unaware of a blog’s potential, his colleagues could not comprehend how he could make more money from blogging than pursuing his medical profession. He sums it all up in two words, “build traffic.” In the internet, traffic equals power, which in turn translates to money.

Dr. Kim started blogging about Steve Jobs’ company in 2000 writing about rumors on future Apple products he collects around the web. Being a secretive company, Apple has become the object of speculation and interest over the years. With a computer science degree from the Columbia University, his skills in programming and technology has added value to the blog and made visitors keep coming back for more. He also knew that everyone wants to know in advance what Steve Jobs is up to. If the midnight vigil during the market release of the IPhone 3G is any indication, Dr. Kim has indeed found a niche that was worth more than the degree he is giving up.

MacRumors ranks No. 2 on a list of the “25 most valuable blogs,” just behind Gawker Media and ahead of The Huffington Post, PerezHilton.com, and TechCrunch. Among those on the list, 2 tech-oriented blogs, Ars Technica and PaidContent, were sold earlier this year for alleged sums in excess of $25 million. Ars Technica has over 3 million visitors per month while PaidContent and its associate blogs reach approximately half a million people. Considering that MacRumors attracts a far bigger audience, valuations indicate that he has a gold mine in his hands. That is one piece of real estate that no crisis can topple.

Initially, he hesitated to make it a full-time job since he enjoyed medicine and had invested almost $200,000 for his education. However, when he saw the figures, it had become an easy decision to make.

When asked how he figures out the rumors from the real thing, he claims that its all a gut feel. He is aware that most of the images of future Apple products in the web are fakes. He does enjoy this fun part where he sometimes posts suspicious images with hints on their authenticity.

At the moment, he is planning to go beyond the horizons of MacRumors. He is currently cooperating in a spinoff Web site, Touch Arcade, that tracks the new games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Though he keeps mum about his other expansion plans, one thing is certain — he plans to go where no blogger has gone before.

Nothing compares to the fear of possibly losing a child. The first time you realize your child could be missing makes the world stand still. You stop breathing for a few minutes before every drop of blood on your head drains to your stomach. Then the panic starts to rise.

Missing children have always been the most heartbreaking stories that go around. And every time parents hear a story on the news or in the neighborhood, they hug their children tighter just to make sure they are safe in your home. Studies reveal that when a child is missing the first 3 hours from the loss is the most crucial. Every hour that passes increases the risk of your child ever being found. This is a very short period considering that it will take time to gather all the data you need plus inform all the pertinent people of the loss. Reports have shown that in 24 hours the chances of ever finding your child or even getting them alive is slim. Is there a way to ensure child safety in an era when children have likewise become a target of abuse and criminal activities?

With the number of missing children in America still alarming, National Child Alert System has made it their goal to protect the nation’s children and provide parents with the resources and the tools necessary to minimize the of risk losing their own. For a reasonable fee, the company allows parents to be prepared in the event that a child is missing. Child Alert allows parents to collect all the necessary data needed by authorities and the neighborhood to locate a missing child at the soonest possible time. The child id will be stored in a quality USB drive and the company’s online server which may also be downloaded into your computer’s hard disk immediately available for dissemination upon alert of a possible emergency. Parents may also opt to avail of Kidzblast, a unique child locator system that allows parents to respond to an emergency in a measured way.

Kidzblast can provide a level one alert when your child is late coming home. The system will send an email alert to your level one responders which includes neighbors, relatives, or parents of your child’s friends. This will tell your level one contacts to be on the lookout for your child. In level two response, you have contacted 911 and the system will not only alert level one responders but also authorities or the even the media, if you choose to do so. Your child’s descriptive information will also be viewed by the public in the home page of ChildAlertSystem.com. These will save you precious time and increase the chance of locating your child within the 3-hour time barrier.

Protect your child and be prepared in the event of an emergency. The cost of joining ChildAlert is nothing compared to the assurance it will provide any parent that they are ready if such an emergency does occur.

I’ve been a one-woman show with my children for 10 years now. Most people think it’s a walk in the park. Few have an idea what it’s like. But most don’t have a clue. What’s the most difficult part about it? Doing the right thing and having no choice about it.

Very few solo parents live a life all their own. If some do find a social life, it’s ridden with suppressed guilt. You’re always wondering whether you have given the kids enough attention or if you have been a negligent parent. The fact is, the failed marriage or partnership is your fault and your whole life is built around compensating for that fault. What makes it more complicated is that the same drive to raise the kids well also leads you to get rid of the emptiness you feel inside. It’s a balancing act that either translates to wrong decisions or extreme loneliness.

Decision-making is never easy. I’ve always been accused of being indecisive. People who care about you can’t seem to trust you enough to make the right one that you always hear different opinions or advice. With decisions coming from the left and the right, you begin to lose trust in yourself and believe you are not capable of making the right one. Maybe I am weak and indecisive. But I prefer that over second-guessing what can be right for my children. I’d rather disappoint myself or other people than my children. They always come first regardless of what people may think of me.

Solo parents may be accused of being weak. But they can never be cowards. It’s the kind of life many balk and choke at. For those who have chosen to take on that life, they bravely walk on despite the doubts and the fears. Whatever mistakes that have been made, a tight hug and a kiss from kids that smell of either rain or the sun make everything worthwhile. Though we may seem failures to big people, it’s the little people we take care of whose opinion we treasure most of all.

Starbucks Corp. has announced that it will close 600 company-owned stores to weed out unprofitable locations and maintain the company’s efficiency. The company gave a list of 50 stores late last week that would be closed by the end of July. These include four stores in Alabama, seven in Minnesota and eight in California. Now, it has detailed all stores planned for closure which includes 88 more in California and 10 in San Diego. Florida will lose 59 stores while Louisiana will lose 13, 9 of them in Baton Rouge.

It seems that the economic crisis has dwindled demand for gourmet coffee. Maybe Americans finally realized you can get coffee with the same taste for less. Lately, I can’t seem to work without coffee. But I make do with those instant packs which really don’t taste bad. It’s the aroma that I seem to crave for rather than the taste. If it’s aroma you crave like me, you can get an instant and drink outside the local Starbucks.

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FlopTurnRiver is a site that provides poker strategy, reviews on the best online poker sites, guidelines to playing poker, poker forums, news, and every other tool necessary to succeed in online poker games.  The site provides one of the best incentives in the largest online poker room, PokerStars.  Aside from the additional deposit bonus, there are also PokerStars Rakeback or larger bonuses which can help a newbie and even turn the tides for the professionals.  Just earn enough FPPs (Frequent Player Points) or VPPs (VIP Player Points) and you get a chance at larger bonuses that even other poker sites cannot match with their rakeback program.  The higher your points, the larger your bonuses.

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I was totally unaware that Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series will already be shown on the silver screen. I was surprised to see a poster while browsing the net. As usual, the fantasy genre excites me, whether it’s a book or a movie or both. I think I was able to read Meyer’s 3 books on the series in less than a week. Who would’ve thought the movie has already been finished. I was supposed to write something about The Dark Knight. When I saw the video and stills of Twilight, all I could say was “Batman who?”

I know what most of you are going to say, I’m too old for books or movies like this. Well, you will just have to bear with me. I’m one of those unlucky girls who has never had a love story of her own. If Bella in Twilight is the girl who never meets normal guys, I’m the girl who never meets the good ones. Hell, I’ll give anything to meet a good one — even if he turns out to be a vampire. Who cares as long as he protects me the way Edward watches over Bella. So, if you can live forever, what would you live for?

Apart from food and shelter, some women consider products related to their health regimen a necessity.  Mine includes body lotion, facial moisturizer, eye cream, and sunblock.  Although my busy schedule sometimes make me skip the twice a day routine, I still manage to do my beauty regimen once everyday.  Since most of these don’t come cheap, I try to get the best deals for my purchases.  Whenever promos or discounts are available, I usually buy more than the regular quantity to save up for future use.  If there are no discounts available, I just make sure I get the best price in the market.

Most of these purchases I already do online regularly.  I know it may be hard to believe for some, but I still get the best deals online.  I get the best assistance with my health and beauty products at ShopWiki.  Unlike other shopping guides, ShopWiki scours the entire cyberspace to find the best deal for me.  Others simply display results of those who have made ad placements with them.  ShopWiki aims to provide its users the best deals in the web and makes sure they get the best-priced product displayed in your search panel.

I’m not excluding men who have their health and beauty regimen too.  I know that the trend now includes men who take care of their skin as much as their health.  Although they don’t put on as much as women, it’s not a girl thing anymore.  ShopWiki can also filter out health and beauty products for men in a flash.  That’s what I love about ShopWiki — whatever you need, no matter how unusual or irregular, they will find it for you.

Terry Childs, a network administrator, locked up San Francisco’s multimillion dollar computer system and refused to provide the police with the password. Apparently, the 43-year old employee was cited by his employer, the Department of Technology for San Francisco, for poor performance. The new FiberWAN (Wide Area Network) handles city payroll files, jail bookings, law enforcement documents and official e-mail for San Francisco. The network is functioning but administrators have little or no access.

Childs remains in police custody and has been accused of tampering with causing havoc to the computer systems. Bail was set at $5 million and if convicted on all counts will be made to serve seven years in prison. According to city officials, Childs may have caused millions in damage, posed a tremendous data security risk, and alleged to have installed a tracing system to monitor communications related to his personnel case.

The incident proves how critical an IT admin position could be to the operations of any organization. Not only should competence be established prior to hiring personnel for the job, but a psychological assessment should be required and thoroughly implemented.