Somebody Has to Say It

Don’t forget to stop by your local Home Depot store on April 19th (Earth Day) and pick up your free EcoSmart 14w CFL bulb. Limit one per customer while supplies last. They also have some other freebies giveaways and coupon savings to celebrate Earth Day.

Do you want to make money from home using the internet? Do you have a blog? If not, that’s the first place to start. There are numerous sites available that will host your blog for free. This site here that I use for my blog is a popular site.

So, you’ve got a blog, but how do you make money with it? By writing about the latest hot topics and popular subjects. Things like celebrity gossip, hollywood scandals, movie stars, “how to” self help tips, recipes, where to find freebies, how to make money, latest hairstyle and makeup trends … the list goes on and on. But how do you know what topics are truly hot and popular? How do you find out what words people are typing into search engines? Click here to find the answer!

According to Valassis, the company who distributes Red Plum coupon inserts, they are going to stop putting the money saving coupons in newspapers. Papers from all over the country are going to be affected, and million of us who rely on coupons will suffer as well.

I don’t know about you, but I rely on coupons now more than ever. Without them, it would be harder than ever to buy groceries to feed my family. I also wouldn’t be able to get extra freebie food items to donate to charity organizations such as food pantries.

There is a website dedicated to this topic at http://www.bringbackthecoupons.com/. You can also see if your area newspaper is one that will stop carrying the coupons by looking at this publication.

Do you use coupons? How will this affect your family or spending habits?

Pledge Multi Surface does clean and dust multiple surfaces if you only have light duty dust, dirt, or scum buildup - and will give you streak free results under these conditions as well. If you have a thick layer of dust or scum, you’ll need to use something stronger to clean with. Simply using this product alone on a heavy-duty household cleaning job will leave you with a streaky spotty mess.

I received my product free but looked online and it sells for around $5.50 at Walmart. That sounds a bit pricey but considering you can use this product in so many different areas, and a can lasts a long time, it’s a good bargain overall. I will buy the product again, mainly to use on my combination wood and glass furniture, but only when I find it on sale and have a coupon.

Want to read more of my review? Click here.

I am a birthmother and have been reunited with my daughter. We have had our ups and downs on the reunion rollercoaster, and have both learned a lot of things about the entire adoption process. Some of the things we discovered were (and still are) painful. The lies propogated by adoption agencies and child placement services are ugly, unfair, and do not help anyone. The truth DOES come out if the adoptee ever reunites with the birth family.

My daughter grew up knowing she was adopted and had a good life and loves her parents (and yes, her parents are the people who raised her). But I am no less her parent in a biological sense.

I think a lot of adoptive parents have an irrational fear that somehow if their child wants to find their birth family that they will somehow lose their child. To me, that seems like such an illogical way to think. Unless, of course, you have mistreated the child and they have had a miserable life … but I think in a case like that then you would “lose” the child anyway once they got old enough to fend for themselves.

In my daughter’s case, she was put under a tremendous amount of guilt by her adoptive family for even wanting to contact me and the rest of her birth family. That guilt led to a lot of stress for her over the course of our long journey. She still feels pressured by certain family members for wanting to be a part of her biological family. No matter how many times she tries to “prove” to them that she loves them and that they aren’t going to lose her, they still harbor insecurities and fear over her desire to love and share herself with two families.

There is a lot more to this story. Click here to read more! Also, feel free to leave a comment here about your feelings on this subject.

Adoption can be a wonderful solution for an infertile couple who wants to have a child but can’t conceive or become pregnant on their own. It can also be a way for an otherwise homeless child to have a family who will love them and raise them as their own. But not all adoption stories are like the fairy tales they appear to be.

No one seems to consider the long term affects adoption can have on the adoptee. That baby or child who has no choice in the matter. They have no voice during the adoption process, and in most states, have only a few rights to know their biological roots as they grow into adulthood. Even after that child is an adult, the court systems still bar them from knowing their heritage. Some judges will give out non-identifying information but that is insignificant dribble.

If nothing else, an adoptee has a right to know their medical history. Imagine going to the doctor and trying to fill out that section on every questionaire about your family history of illness. Not knowing that information could mean the difference between life and death in some cases. Doesn’t a person who is adopted have a right to know if they have a genetic disposition to certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, or other such conditions?

I say yes, they do have a right, and think it is inhumane to deny them the information. Are you a birth parent searching for your child? Or an adoptee looking for your birth family? Contact me, maybe I have some tips for you. I am a birthmother who has been reunited with my daughter. We both want to help others who are searching for their biological family. I can’t guarantee we will have the answer, but perhaps our experiences will be of value to you.

Read more of our stories by clicking here.

I just read a story on Reuters about some mountain hikers in the Swiss canton of
Appenzell-Innerrhoden Switzerland who were hiking in the nude. The densely populated area reports an increase in the number of naked hikers, claiming the act is mostly popular with German visitors.

Say what? There are a lot of things that I could see doing when naked, but hiking is definitely NOT one of those things. I don’t care if I was in the middle of nowhere, with no possible chance of being seen by others, the odds of harming a delicate or vital body part are just too great to hike without clothing (in my humble opinion). I mean, just think about it. A person could easily trip and fall and skin their “whoo-hoo” or get dirt up in their “boo-boo” if they are naked. At least clothing would provide a little protection if you fall down. Gee whiz! Then there is the issue of bug bites. I would think dangling and exposed body parts would be so much more attractive to mosquitoes, bees, wasps, snakes … I shudder to think about it.

To prevent future incidents, and protect the children in the area from “immoral habits of nudists”, authorities will start imposing a fine of 200 Swiss francs (about $170 US dollars).

What do you think? Is the fine fair? Would you ever hike in the nude?

I do not understand what all the fuss is surrounding President Obama. He seems to have a huge following of almost cult-like fans. People faint and fawn over him like he’s a Hollywood celebrity like a movie star or pop star or rock star. There are blogs about his wardrobe, news stories about what kind of music he listens to on his Blackberry, articles on what kind of food he eats for dinner, his workout and fitness routine, fan clubs discussing his sex appeal … the absurd list goes on and on!

Give me a break! Who cares about any of this trivial stuff? Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America and the United States is in the midst of a huge economical crisis. We’re in a recession and swiftly headed towards a depression. So wake up people!! Instead “worshipping” Mr. Obama like some starry-eyed school girl, we need to start looking at the big picture. How is Obama, as President, going to help America and the people of the United States overcome the gigantic financial and social hurdles we face as a nation. THAT is what we need to be focusing on.

According to a story on the USA Today website, the Snuggie is a pop culture hit. I’m sure you’ve all seen the TV infomercials showing them. It’s nothing more than a big fleece blanket sewn together with a collar and sleeves. Personally, I think the people in those commercials look like a bunch of monks sitting around wearing them. It’s hilarious! Not to mention the cost. Gee whiz folks, just grab a blanket or shawl and keep your money in the bank. Or get up OFF of the couch or out of the easy chair and get some exercise and you won’t need a Snuggie because you’ll be nice and warm. You might even lose a few pounds and gain some health benefits from the exercise too.

If you want a laugh, just watch the YouTube video and read some of the comments.

While you’re at YouTube, you might as well check out the Tiddy Bear commercial. It’s even funnier than the Snuggie.

Come on folks … just turn off the TV, put the Snuggie and Tiddy Bear out of your mind, and move along.

Say what? According to an article on MSN, Joaquin Phoenix is spreading his wings now and quit his acting career to pursue his dream of sing rap music. Joaquin says his rapping is straight from his heart and he is putting himself out there to see what happens.

Rumor has it that Diddy is producing Joaquin’s first rap album. 

Honestly, I have no problems with someone pursuing their dreams. I will also admit that I don’t know enough about rap music to critique the genre. But to my unprofessional ears this “music” is nightmarish and rapping is not one of Joaquin’s talents. 

Listen to his “skills” for yourself and tell me what you think. Here’s the link to a clip posted on YouTube.

This sniplet was filmed by brother-in-law Casey Affleck, who is married to Joaquin’s sister. Affleck is filming a documentary about the ex-actor’s attempt at a new career in the music career.

OH, and check out the horrible looking beard and how overweight Joaquin looks. Poor guy … I hope he’s not heading down “rehab road”.

Please someone, tell me this is a joke! What are your thoughts?