Watch: Pay the Writer

Every publisher, editor, webmaster, writer, and wannabe writer out there, please take three minutes and listen to Harlan Ellison's rant on paying writers. (Contains profanity, but worth the listen.)

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Tech Tags: writer writing pay money earn pay the writer business arts

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Green Up Day in Vermont

Today is Green Up Day in Vermont, the one day in spring reserved for road-side clean up by Vermont residents, all volunteer. The first Green Up Day, according to Green Up Vermont, was April 18, 1970 in response to reporter Robert S. Babcock, Jr.'s reaction to the mounds of litter from spring thaw he saw along the road during a commute to work at the Burlington Free Press. Green Up Day has been going ever since.

We did not participate this year because I was unavailable, but several area locals did. CJ and her Girl Scout troupe greened up Vermont last year. I recall doing it as a Girl Scout, too. I hadn't heard of Green Up Day prior to our troupe's participation, but it felt great knowing that picking up trash along the road made a difference. Besides, I felt important and privileged walking along the road with cars going by.

I understand New Hampshire has a Green Up Day, as well as Vermont. I wonder if any other states or towns have similar things. If you have participated in a Green Up Day or similar event, I'd love to hear your experience.

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Tech Tags: environment ~ Green Up Day ~ Vermont ~ litter

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Secure your sensitive information against identity theft

You seen that commercial where the guy drives around in a cargo truck with his social security number printed on the side? It caught my attention, particularly because several years ago we found someone else's credit information on my husband's credit report. And he wasn't even born yet at the time those events happened. I've been on the alert ever since--way before identity theft became a public awareness.

I haven't been able to get that truck out of my mind, so I took a click over to Lifelock to find out more. Here's what I discovered:

For $10 per month, they offer protection of your personal information with a 1 million dollar guarantee per person if registered personal information is breeched due to Lifelock's failure, reduced junk mail and credit card offers, and engagement in regular proactive credit protection like placing fraud alerts on your accounts so you'll be notified in the event of a questionable incident. They also offer protection for your kids under the age of 16 for an additional $25 per year.

I'm intrigued, though I'm unsure about giving a company my private information to protect. Yeah, I know, I give it to the bank and such, but I can at least meet these people in person, and it's required. I refuse to give my social security number just about everywhere else, and you should, too.

But there's no doubt Lifelock helps avert disaster so I'm mulling over this service for our family. I doubt it could have prevented the botch on Jim's credit since that seemed to be a misreport of information, but after that, and the rise of identity theft often discussed, how could I not consider Lifelock further? All I have to do is remember that CSI episode where identity theft is a key factor in a case to realize how much damage identity theft can do.

For now, here are free ways we protect our sensitive information:

1. I don't post my kid's names on my blog and rarely post pictures of them.
2. We cross-cut shred anything with personally identifying information on it including envelopes labeled with our names and addresses.
3. We don't put social security numbers on forms at doctor offices and other places that do not need it. IT IS NOT REQUIRED.
   
4. NEVER put your full account numbers on your checks when paying bills even though the stubs tell you to. Accounts receivable will match your information just fine. If you're super concerned about payments getting mis-attributed, write the last few numbers of the account (acct# ending in xxx) on the check and on the pay stub you can write "paid w/check #xxx ").
   
5. Print only your first initial on your checks. Only your financial institution needs to know who is authorized to write checks on your account so this makes it harder for thieves.
   

I'm sure there are more things we can do that I missed, so drop me a comment with more anti-identity-theft tips. While I wait I'm going to try driving that social security number truck out of my head. Brilliant marketing tactic, that truck.

Update: I thought of another important security measure this morning, and that is to use a credit card, not debit card, for any transaction where your card leaves your hand or where you're making a reservation. Credit cards have anti-fraud protection where debit cards do not, as well as the obvious plus that a credit card is not directly connected to your bank account.

If someone fraudulently swipes your card while paying your dinner meal at a register away from you, you can contest it on a credit card and keep your bank account from being infiltrated. And when making reservations, you won't run the risk of overdrafting your bank account when a hotel places a hold on your account for the full amount of your room to keep it until you come and pay. Holds aren't charged, but will make your bank account bounce if using a debit card because the money in a hold becomes earmarked and therefore unusable, and if you don't have that full amount in your account, or you're close but then make regular payments, your account will bounce and you'll incur nasty overdraft fees. Since credit cards are purely credit, the hold only applies to your credit limit.

Just make sure when using a credit card that you treat it like a debit card and only charge what you have money to repay immediately. :-)

Check out more Works for Me Wednesday posts at Rocks In My Dryer.

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Tech Tags: identity theft ~ Lifelock ~ money ~ finances ~ poll ~ security

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Shocking (or not) housework study results

See? It's not all in my head. Now I have proof. Men really do create more housework for women! This according to a federally funded study by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

Actually, if you read the article it contradicts itself. And it doesn't take into account work done outside the house, which many men shoulder most responsibility for. I'd say, we're close to even. Bottom line--marriage creates more house-work (inside and out) for everyone involved.

Maybe while I exchange a little yard work for dinner prep, the article writer can go back and edit his article to relay the research information accurately. I'd like to know what the research really concluded.

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FYI: Domain Name Change for The Building Brows

With the new blog design came a new domain name. If you link to The Building Brows, please update your link from http://thebuildingbrows.blogspot.com to http://thebuildingbrows.com.

If you've faved me in Technorati, please do so again. Thanks!

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Technorati Tags: URL+change ^ new ^ domain name

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New Design is Here!

The new design is here with all kinds of features. Our favorites on our Bookshelf have mysteriously disappeared except the magazines, but everything seems to be working. And hopefully I can figure out where the bookshelf items vacationed to and retrieve them soon.

Please poke around and let me know what you think in the comments and two new polls I posted:

1. Blog load speed
2. Blog load speed with the new design as compared to the old design.

Also, please note our new web address. If you link to us, please update your links from http://thebuildingbrows.blogspot.com to http://www.thebuildingbrows.com. Thanks.

Hope you like it--not bad for being new to CSS/html, I think...

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Technorati Tags: new ^ blog design ^ poll

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Rebuttal to public flame of The Building Brows

It's time to take a break from my regular posts to address a recent situation that has emerged thanks to an anonymous commenter who took it upon him/her-self to flame my family not only in my comments to my last post, Energy Audit for Weatherization, but also on a public scrapbook message board. (Why there, I have no clue.)

Here's the general gist of the accusations from that commenter and others following the board's thread: Jim and I are irresponsible parents for making our six kids live in a tiny home in filth. We should change our careers, get loans, sell part of our land--anything at all costs--to "do our duty" and provide our poor kids a larger space and more things. And we never should have had so many kids if we are living here.

There are a few major points I want to make about these accusations:

1. My kids are well cared for and provided for. They do not lack what they need. Each has a bed, space to be, places for a few things, clothes, food, shelter, warmth. We love them and keep them clean. They do chores and attend school, and do very well at it. They are learning the value of waiting for something they really want, and choosing the thing they want most since there is not room for everything. They are learning to value family above things and to treat each other with respect and courtesy.
   
2. Our house is clean, and though deteriorating and not the prettiest, it is safe and functions. Soft spots in the floor are covered over with solid material. Mold and/or mildew is removed. The bathroom is clean; floors swept and vacuumed and mopped; we have a couch and recliner to sit on though I personally prefer the floor. Our appliances that were hazardous have been removed. Filters sit in the floor registers to filter air. Fresh air vents work to bring in outside air and remove stale air. Pests are fought and cold drafts stopped with new insulation. It works. Period. And we trust God to make it continue to work for as long as He deems necessary for us to live here.
   
3. We seek God's plan for our lives first which can put out of order what may seem logical for raising a family. And if it were not for following God's directions made clear to us in several ways (which no one except us and few others can confirm), we would be fools to live in this manner. There is a fine line between faith and foolishness and that line is whether or not someone is following what they believe with conviction is God's will because they received confirmations through something or someone outside themselves. To assume something is God's will without confirmation, and live in sheer faith that that thing will come to fruition when there was no assurance it was God to begin with, is dumb. This is not what we have done. We (I in particular) fought long and hard about moving here. But I could not escape that God was asking us to do it, so I bent my will and complied, with much heartache. It is only through much work God has done in my heart through living here that I have come to peace with it for as long as God sees is necessary for us to dwell here. Those without a lifestyle of submitting to God cannot understand this.
   
4. This trailer is temporary and we've been here only 3.5 years. When we started having kids we were in an apartment and eventually bought a different house which we remodeled and sold for a $100,000 profit (how we bought this place and do not have a mortgage). Had someone told us we would end up in a mobile home with eight kids, we would never have believed it.
   
5. You don't get a loan or rent an apartment or house when you know you cannot pay the bill year-round and would have to file bankruptcy. Now that's irresponsible.
6. You can change careers, but you cannot change your purpose in life. Each person was created for a special purpose and everyone should search out what that is. We have. Jim's has to do with building trades and mine with writing. God forbid we should ever walk out of our purpose to get a different career for more money. Money is a much lower priority than following God and walking in our purpose in Him.

There are more points we can make, but I won't bother to waste my time or yours. If you want to read more of our responses, including one from Jim which is rare, then visit that scrapbook message board, but do it soon because the whole thread might be deleted since that anonymous commenter shouldn't have even posted it there.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog...

P.S. I understand our blog often locks up people's computers so we're working on a template redesign and hope to install it soon. Please bear with us.

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Technorati Tags:  family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ flame ^ lifestyle ^ mobile home ^ rebuttal ^ hot topic ^ controversy ^ scrutiny

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RECALL: Aqua Dots Dangerous!

The As Seen on TV product Aqua Dots turns out to be a dangerous craft set for children. If children ingest any of the beads, the chemicals in the beads break down into the date-rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) and can--will likely--cause unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma, and death. The product was first recalled in Australia and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled Aqua Dots in the US yesterday.

If your children, play groups, or daycare have Aqua Dots, please remove them from use immediately and contact Spin Master at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or through www.aquadotsrecall.com.

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Technorati Tags: recall ^ Aqua Dots ^ family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ crafts ^ dangerous

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Nearby Vermont family gets a home makeover

The Vitale family in Athens Vermont, a town nearby, now has a new home thanks to Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

I'm very glad for the family, and I can't help but remember how we almost applied for the show. What if we had and had been chosen? This family who needed the home more than we did to care for their son who suffers from numerous health problems would have not gotten the new home they received this week.

I'm a little disappointed, though. In one news report, the show's producer said this was the only home makeover they would do in Vermont due to Vermont's demographics. Applying for the show was still an option for us until I heard that this week. It makes things clear. We and our new house really are solely in God's hands. But they always were. Now I feel it. But it is good.

Besides, with our current finances we wouldn't be able to afford the taxes!

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Technorati Tags:  family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ house construction ^ building ^ Vitale ^ extreme makeover ^ home edition

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RECALL: Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, other children's toys

Fisher-Price issued a recall of several licensed character toys today, about 967,000 of them. The involved toys were manufactured between April 19, 2007 and July 6, 2007 and sold in the U.S. from May 2007 through August 2007.

The recalled toys contain excess lead in the surface paints and could cause lead poisoning in children--manufacturer: China.

I've been seeing many recalls due to lead poisoning, and most of them are produced in China. I don't know China's production policies, but until they stop producing products containing lead these many recalls should be loud signs that it's time for the U.S. to stop using China to manufacture their products.

Having had a child lead poisoned at a young age from lead paint, I can't understand why China continues to allow products with lead off their assembly lines when they are aware of the health hazards to people. (They must be aware with the number of lead recalls in the past few years.) Do they really use these products themselves thinking the lead hazard is malarky, or do they keep them off their own shelves but settle for using inferior/harmful materials to keep prices cheaper for export or maintain foreign commerce contracts?

I tend to think the best about people, so I hate to think they ship stuff on purpose, but it's hard to think otherwise when they can't not know. Maybe they let this stuff in their stores, but it seems lead poisoning should be important enough to them to stop producing it completely.

I'll probably never know why they do what they do. In any case, check out the CSPC website for full recall information, but in the mean time, if you can't get there right away or the site is too busy, here is a list of the toys involved in the recall:


From the CSPC's bulletin:

The model names and product numbers for the recalled toys, which are all marked with "Fisher-Price," are listed below. The toys may have a date code between 109-7LF and 187-7LF marked on the product or packaging.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Fisher-Price. Consumers will need to return the product and will receive a voucher for a replacement toy of the consumer's choice (up to the value of the returned product).

Fisher-Price (800) 916-4498 anytime


Product List:

33662 Elmo Light Up Musical Pal
33664 Big Bird Light Up Musical Pal
39038 Elmo Tub Sub
87946 Elmo Keyboard
90609 Elmo Collectible
90612 Zoe Collectible
90614 Big Bird Collectible
93068 Elmo Boom Box
93307 Press N Go Elmo
93492 Cookie Saxophone
93615 Splash Tub Puzzle

B7554 Count To Beat Elmo
B7987 Elmo In The Giggle Box
B9620 Dora's Talking House
C6908 Dora, Backpack, Perrito Figure Pack
C6909 Diego Figure Pack
C6911 Boots, Tico Figure Pack
G5112 Sing With Elmo's Greatest Hits
H2943 Grow With Me Elmo Sprinkler
H3344 Birthday Dora
H5570 Elmo & Pals (Elmo, Zoe, Bigbird)
H4628 Water Fun Tote
H8237 Blue 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H9124 Chef Dora
H9186 Giggle Grabber Ernie

J0338 Diego Talking Field Journal
J0344 Go Diego Go Deep Sea Rescue
J0346 Go Diego Go Talking Rescue 4 X 4
J5936 Giggle Grabber Chef Cookie Monster
J6537 Sesame Street Giggle Toolbelt
J6763 Royal Boots And Tico
J7983 Sesame Street Tub Pots & Pans
J9692 Dora's Talking Pony Place
K3414 Diego - Talking Gadget Belt
K3580 Fairytale Adventure Dora
K4140 Toucan Motorcycle Rescue

L3194 Surprise Inside Diego Eggs
L3488 Sesame Street Birthday Figure Pack
L3507 Sesame Street - Super Boom Box
L5202 Birthday Dora
L8905 Pablo & Pals
M0352 Dora Figures Diego & Bear
M0527 Sesame Street Giggle Doodler
M2051 Lets Go Rescue Center
33663 Ernie Light Up Musical Pal
34658 Elmo Stacking Rings
39054 Sesame Street Shape Sorter
90267 Ernie Splashin' Fun Trike
90611 Cookie Collectible
90613 Ernie Collectible
90745 Construction Playset
93107 Action Fire Engine
93308 Rev & Go Cookie Monster
93493 Elmo's Guitar
93780 Music And Lights Phone

B7888 Shake, Giggle & Roll
B7989 Silly Parts Talking Elmo

C6910 Swiper Figure Pack
G3825 Dora Talking Vamonos Van
G9717 Giggle Doodler
H3343 Cousin Daisy
H5569 Elmo & Pals (Elmo, Cookie, Ernie)
H4187 Dora Figures In Tube
H8236 Dora 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H8238 Sponge Bob 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H9125 Bedtime Dora
H9188 Giggle Grabber Oscar The Grouch

J0343 Go Diego Go Antarctic Rescue
J0345 Go Diego Go Mountain Rescue
J5935 Giggle Grabber Soccer Elmo

J6762 Queen Mami
J6765 Prince Diego
J9518 Sesame Street Giggle Drill
K0617 Twins Nursery
K3571 Go Diego Go Mobile Rescue Unit
K4139 Go Diego Go Dinosaur Rescue
L0305 Dora Figure

L3215 Sesame Street Elmo Jack-In-The-Box

L5813 Diego Tub Trike
M0351 Dora Figures Dora & Kitty
M0524 Go Diego Go Talking Gadget
M0732 Dora's Talking House
M2052 Fairytale Castle

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ toy ^ recall ^ China

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New Data on my Tinnitus/Noise Hypersensitivity and Weather Theory

I have an interesting observation on my ear and weather theory.

Yesterday while I had tremendous hypersensitivity to noise, the barometric pressure in our area was high at 1023. (Don't ask me what that number means; I just know it is high.) I continued to have it this morning. I checked the current barometric pressure map for the U.S. and the pressure was the same.

Tonight I felt my plugged ears starting to drain, which is unusual. That's always such a sweet relief because when that happens my ear pressure releases some and I can hear better. When I realized we are slated for storms tomorrow evening I wondered what the barometric pressure read.

Sure enough, as I suspected, our current barometric pressure is 1016. And I wonder if it dropped quickly, because my ears rarely drain like this. (Which is too bad.)

It looks like my theory of tinnitus and noise hypersensitivity being connected to the weather and barometric pressure might be true. If so, I might look into what kind of hand-held devices measure barometric pressure. Such a gadget might come in handy.

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Technorati Tags: tinnitus ^ vertigo ^ dizziness ^ loud ^ noise ^ hypersensitive ^ weather ^ barometric ^ atmospheric ^ pressure ^ theory ^ update

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Personalize News, Generate Web Traffic

There is no Works for Me Wednesday this week (sponsored by Rocks In My Dryer), but I'm posting anyway. After all, this new personalized news service I just learned about works for me. It's called thoof.com and I just checked it out.

You can read news you're interested in off a clearing house of submitted articles from the home page, and then submit your own news or stories for others to read. The personalization comes in with your history tab and choosing what interests you.

At first glance, something bothered me.

The home page said, "Thoof will show you interesting news, websites, videos, and other links, personalized to your individual tastes. Just click on the stories that interest you, and let Thoof do the rest. If you don't like the way a story is described, just click improve and propose a change to it. It's that simple!"

Did this mean readers could change the words in my post? Nothing on the site said authors retained their copyrights and the descriptions weren't clear, but with a little more reading and clicking around, which took you to the blog article itself, I realized it the users could only change article/story descriptions and tags, not the actual submitted work. Phew!

I signed up in the easiest website registration I think I've ever done, clicked submit, and right away my Diva Cup post. I went back and added a bit of code to the bottom of my post via cut and paste, and voila--a Thoof bar.


Now I can see how much traffic my Diva Cup post generates. It's a great way to read news and stories tailored to you, but I also think it's a great way to gain more readership and perhaps help increase website traffic.

And that's why thoof.com is my Works for Me Wednesday tip (despite the no WFMW this week). Go check it out!

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Technorati Tags: Website traffic ^ news ^ personalized news ^ Works for Me Wednesday ^ Thoof

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RECALL EXPANDED: Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets

I had no idea when I mentioned in my recall for children's wooden sound puzzles post my aversion to magnet toys because of a previous Magnetix recall that I'd be seeing another