Back Flips

Some of you may be aware that Google (and others) pays to have its ads placed on web pages. That’s why I have those ads up above. And by the way, I have already pulled in almost enough cash to put a down payment on that Snickers bar I’ve had my eye on – the really big Snickers bar, mind you. With that said, let me point out that I did not create this blog to rake in the dough; I do this purely for my own vain pleasure. But, if you do see an ad that interests you, go ahead and click – go ahead, it won’t hurt – but I’m not splitting the 3 cents with you, so don’t even ask.

However, there are professional sites out there in Web World that do use this method as a source of income, and one of the ways that they get visitors to their sites is by creating “back links.” Back links are links to a site from someone else’s site. It’s kind of a ligitimizer (I just made up a new word!) as far as Google is concerned. It says to the little “spiders” and “bots” that “crawl” the web (techies are such geeks) that this site is real and not just slapped up to capitalize on advertising income. So, in that vein, I have added a few more links over there on the right. These link back to sites that are built and run by folks who have Don’s Stamp of Approval. No UL or Good Housekeeping, I admit, yet based on a more scientifically involved process of weighing my likes and dislikes, and including only those people who are nice to me. It’s therefore a much more reliable Stamp.

Go ahead and check them out if you have an interest, and go ahead and don’t if you don’t. (That’s a really pretty sentence.) But if you have a problem with any of them once you get there – keep it to yourself. Or if you must, you can go to my “complaint department” which is located at www.shutthehellupyoucrybaby.org/

Have a nice day!

Eruption

Just a quick post to apprise my loyal readership (both of you - Hi, Mom!) of an update to my links over there on the right side of this page. There is link to a blog entitled Lavacakes. I stumbled across this blog, and found a kindred spirit. If you enjoy this blog, I'm sure you'll enjoy Lavacakes as well. Before you ask, I don't know what a lavacake is, but I'm sure they're very delicious - and probably very hot. Didn't they eat those in Pompeii?

Cross-eyed Mary?

Is anything more wonderful than watching your child develop a new skill? Remember her first steps? The first time he said Da Da? The first tiny scratchings of a pencil that almost resembled letters of the alphabet? Ah, what fun to watch a young mind develop!

Then there is the greatest joy of all: listening as your very bright child plays her first note on her newly chosen instrument. It’s an “F,” I think. My daughter has chosen the flute, and, as her teacher recommends, she practices that flute for 30 minutes – everyday. And for 30 minutes – everyday – for the first week we heard “F.” We heard F in short bursts like a car alarm going off, F in longer trills like a smoke detector, and all other combinations of F. Don’t get me wrong, I like F. It’s a nice note. One of eight others in a scale. But F, F, F, F, F, F for 30 minutes is evocative of Chinese water torture. Ah, well, the price parents pay for budding genius. Did the father of Jethro Tull's flute player go through this?

My consolation: At least she didn’t choose the violin.

Coming Soon: D flat