Pure Pionus Parrot

Okay, so after I made my last post, I got to thinking that there was at least one publication of mine which had not been linked to this blog yet. I wrote this article for Associated Content because I thought (very briefly) that I might be able to make some money this way when I was first starting out as a writer. I had been out of practice for articles of any length (my primary duties at the time were creating about 33 news blurbs of 200 characters of less), so it took me a little while to write. I wasn't satisfied with the compensation I received, however. Now I know a little bit more about those sorts of mass produced things. I will probably write something else for them someday, but I feel that site is a little bit more about quantity and not as much about quality.

Myself, I strive for quality and content over quantity. I put time and research into my articles. Though I will use existing items as references, I like to create my own original articles on various topics. I also like to take a few things that might be happening in the news at the same time and tie them together, such as this article I wrote which combines information from a piece that says the act of giving can counteract depression with a piece that says donations are down.

Anyways.. back to the parrot. I have a Pionus Parrot named Harry. He is of the Blue Headed variety. They are peculiar birds. They don't usually talk, or if they do talk, it is not very clearly. But mine does! He is very self centered, though. His phrases are "Harry Bird," "Harry Boy," "Buddy Bird," "Buddy Boy," "Whats up, birdy," "Come here," and "Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty." He does have some more colorful phrases, but thankfully, those are much less easily understood. The F-sound is a little harder for a parrot to mimick :) He can be very, very loud and it can be very frustrating. I can't always account for the language I use towards him when he is throwing a little birdy temper tantrum!

Anyways, my family owns birds. My aunt has a Yellow Naped Amazon and a Congo African Grey. I would never own either of these birds, their beaks are far too large and they tend to only like one person. Harry, on the other hand, craves attention from anyone who will give it to him. My mother and brother, between the two of them, have a Nanday Conure named Cozmo, a Blue-Crowned Conure named Indigo, and a Jardine's Parrot named Jordy. While I would totally have another Pionus or a Jardine, I wouldn't get another conure. They are friendly but very loud.

Never Too Late to Teach Your Kids About Money

Teaching children about money is never an easy task. Perhaps you don't feel confident about your own money-management skills. However, you probably know a little more about directing cash than you think. From the time that children begin comprehending money (which is around the same time they learn to count) until they move out of your home permanently, your financial actions will play a critical role in shaping their attitude toward money. Teaching and encouraging children to become regular savers, thrifty spenders, and savvy investors will help them lead a financially fit life in the future.

This is the lead in to my most recent article published on iQualifyNow.com. I think the title is pretty obvious! It has some tips about teaching kids about cash. I wish I would have been made to save when I was younger. Maybe I would have some savings of which to speak!

I'm a little bummed that my iQualifyNow articles have been the only items in my blog lately. I have been very busy and super productive, however! I picked up two new clients this week. WOOHOO! New projects! Of course, since I want this blog to also be a record of my on-line published articles, I will post links when appropriate.

I am stoked that I've been contributing so regular to Sense & Serendipity! I've been doing infinitely better since the sputtering start of this blog in March of 2007. But then again, I was working 60 hours a week last year. Now all I do is write! Makes me so happy. I really, truly love what I do and I am excited to see where my next projects will lead me!

MORE Earth Friendly Purchases Under $50

MORE! I like more. I had so much fun writing Earth Friendly Purchases Under $50 that I had to write another one, because there just had to be MORE!

In the previous article, 10 environmentally friendly purchases that cost less than $50 were listed. Household items, foods, cleaning products, even clothing were named as helping to foster a "green" life that didn't require taking out a home equity loan to install solar panels or wind turbines. Here are 10 more tips to help you live a greener lifestyle without blowing your budget.

Again, these are articles I wrote for the iQualifyNow.com financial site.

Glad To Be A Wild Goon!

If I didn't know better, I would think it sounds like The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I know the real reason for his bitterness, however, is that the Minnesota Wild are beating the Denver Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Playoff Series. The article he wrote wasn't as much about the actual game as it was how annoyed he was that Denver lost and Minnesota won. He took a lot of cheap shots at the Wild and their fans. Here are a few choice cuts:

"Let the mugging begin. It's the only way the Minnesota Wild can win."

"When playing this goon-it- up Wild bunch, hockey is a no-holds- barred battle of attrition, not skill."

"Minnesota, the land of 10,000 dead car batteries, has an inferiority about this hockey team. The Wild's style of play is as ugly and obnoxious as the uniforms, which look as if designed by a toddler who randomly pulled two crayons from the box of 64 and began scribbling."

"Anywhere the Wild goes, flowers wilt, the sky turns gray and beauty dies."

And let's not forget one of my personal favorites:

"The dark hockey arts are practiced by every member of the Wild. Even a player as remarkably talented as Minnesota center Mikko Koivu is not adverse to hacking and tripping when Colorado's Ryan Smyth is carrying the puck on goal."

"When scores are certain to be scarce and the mugging is beyond the control of any referee, what's the lone goal for the Avs now? Be the last men standing, and live to play something that resembles beautiful hockey another day."

Wow... He sounds truly morose and bitter! At least when the Wild lose, their fans don't cry foul on the other team. We acknowledge that our team messed up or perhaps didn't play so well, we don't blame it on the tactics of the other team. Besides, I watched that game, too, and I saw plenty of calls that were not called against Denver which should have been, particularly hooking. I also saw Denver starting the brawls just as often as Minnesota. One hockey team is not an "angel" compared to the other, fighting is a part of the game whether some people like it or not and in this case both sides were getting their digs. This is for a shot at the Stanley Cup, you know.

Brute force is sometimes necessary to win. To be the last man standing, and live to play hockey another day, you have to claim victory. To do otherwise, puts you in the off-season.

Money Etiquette Matters

A lot of attention these days is spent on all manner of financial topics, from budgeting and credit reports to investments and property taxes. Knowledge and expertise in these areas can be easily measured by the numbers. Not all subjects revolving around cash are so cut and dry, however, especially when it comes to money and friends. In fact, talking about some money matters even in close company are considered to be taboo.

Thats the lead-in to my most recent financial article for iQualifyNow.com. The article discusses a few guidelines for people to follow during those tough times which require good financial etiquette, like how to split an uneven check or what to do about an unpaid loan. This was a fun and interesting article to write because in my experience, not many are willing to talk about what is proper or fair in these types of situations.

Money Etiquette Matters

New Crayola Color Names Lack Hue Description

I had to pass along this little gem, which I heard about first on the radio. I had to look up the articles online in order to discover all of the color names and find out which crayons they messed up. I was truly a fan of "turquoise blue" and I am a little sad to now hear that its name has been changed to such a bizarre name.

Crayola Changes Names of 8 Colors based on on-line poll of children.

Old Name - New Name
laser lemon - super happy
wild tangerine - fun in the sun
screamin' green - giving tree
beaver - bear hug (what kind of color is Beaver anyway?)
turquoise - blue happy ever after
hot magenta - famous
orchid - best friends.

One of the articles that came up in my search was called "Colorful new names for eight crayons". No, lady, these names are distinctly lacking in any sort of color what-so-ever. If I had seen colors named like this when I was still young enough to regularly use Crayons, I don't know what I would have thought. Now that I'm an adult, I find it hard to believe these names weren't concocted by stoners.

Fun Real Estate Post

Though I don't usually post stuff from the real estate blog I contribute to here, I had a lot of fun writing this post about unique home sale tactics. People are finding some pretty crazy ways of trying to sell their houses these days! I wonder if any of these people really sell their homes in this manner? I almost wrote an essay to try and win a 41 acre farm in Ohio once (hubby's homestate), I didn't have $100 extra dollars sitting around at the time to mail off into the ether. It would have been an expensive lark. They didn't receive enough entries, by far. The winner is receiving half of what they got in entry fees, though.

More to come soon!

Retirement: Tips for Truly Golden Years

Retirement is one of the greatest stages of life, but it is also very expensive. Experts estimate that you'll need about 70 percent of what you make right now to maintain your standard of living after retirement. Those who earn less may need 90 percent or more. With that in mind, assume responsibility: No one else is going to plan your retirement, so it is up to you to make plans for your future.

This is the lead-in to this weeks iQualifyNow.com article. You can read the rest of it here!

If No One Cared

I don't have much time to write today. I have a bit more work than usual this week, but I wanted to make sure that I got something in. When I saw this commentary in the Columbus Dispatch, I felt it was something that needed a little more attention.

For a moment, stop and think of what the world would be like if no one looked out for anyone else. Substitute a local issue in your own town for the location specific content. Imagine if every individual in our society thought only of themselves. Visualize how lonely, dirty, and unfriendly our country would be if even half of our population felt the way Ann Fisher describes in her editorial.

Perhaps a few of these thoughts, or thoughts along these lines, have popped into your head. That's okay, it is never too late to start making positive changes in your life and thinking of others. The next time a thought like this materializes, stop to think about from where this thought may be coming. Then imagine yourself in the shoes of the other person. Perhaps it is someone who depends on public transportation to get to work, who has poor health requiring prescriptions, or who can't afford health insurance.

Looking at the world from the perspective of others will help us as individuals to step away from the selfish, "me first" mentality that is creeping into our everyday lives through materialism, commercialism, and the media.

"Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution." - Kahlil Gibran