February 16, 2007

PPP is paying out big bucks!

Payperpost has rolled out their long-awaited segmentation program. That means if advertisers choose to select only higher-ranked blogs to post their opportunities, they pay a higher price. And where does that extra money go? Right into the pockets of the posties. That’s folks who post for PPP on their blogs. Clever, heh? It’s an equitable distribution system. Folks who have had their blogs longer and have done all the hard work to achieve a high page rank are compensated more. That’s the right thing to do, because the higher page ranks mean higher traffic, which translates to better exposure for the advertisers.

This came at an awkward time for me because I just moved to my own domain and had to leave my PR4 behind to do so. Starting over with a zero page rank kind of sucks, but will reap benefits in the end because many advertisers prefer to have their opportunities published on blogger-owned domains rather than free sites. And it really is all good, because there are still opportunities for me to get paid to blog every day of the week. Even with my new zero page rank I get an average of $5.00 to $10.00 for every paid post. Since we can now do three a day, I can average betweeen fifteen and thirty dollars per day under the new system. PPP only charges a 35% service fee on each opportunity they accept from their advertisers, which means my fee is sixty-five percent of the money paid in. You won’t get that with ReviewMe, which charges a 100% markup, leaving their working bloggers with only half of the pie. Still, it kind of smarts to see the opportunites available today that I can’t take. One is for $35.00, several pay $75.00 to the blogger, one pays $84.00 and there are at least two that pay posties $125.00 to blog about the things they love. There’s even one very special opportunity that will pay out $1000.00 to a high-ranked blog. Nothing stingy about these folks. I’m working hard on my new place and know that I’ll soon be eligible for those high-paying opportunities. Until then I’ll continue to give my best effort to the opportunities that I can take. It’s all good!

The very first post I took for PayPerPost was my Disclosure Policy. You can read it by clicking the appropriate tab right up there at the top of each page of my blog. When I posted mine it was the postie’s option to publish a disclosure policy. I elected to do so because it felt like the right thing to do. The advertisers buy my creative efforts and a spot on my blog, but they don’t buy my opinions. Those are my own, but I’ve still always made sure that you, my readers, know when I am being compensated. PayPerPost has now made disclosure mandatory for all posties because they know, too, that it’s the right thing to do. The blogsphere is full of advertising. Some of it can be pretty deceptive. Transparency through full disclosure provides you with the opportunity to assess what you’re reading from a solid starting point. If you believe that what I’ve written has been skewed by the prospect of compensation, so be it. I want you to have the opportunity to judge that for yourselves, and so does PayPerPost. And just in case you’re wondering, they sponsored this post, so I’m being paid right now to tell you all about it. They requested a review of their new policies, but did not demand that I be upbeat or enthusiastic. That just happens to be how I feel about PayPerPost and the opportunity they’ve given me to earn income while doing what I love, talking to you through my blog. I hope you’re enjoying the conversation. You can click that little “Review This Post” button below and PPP will pay you to tell me (and the whole world) what you think. No postive tone required. I’ve got my big girl panties on and would love to know what you really think!

Among the living dead

I’m still sick, ten days & counting. I’ve gotten a sudden surge in work orders & can’t afford not to take them. Do-able, but it’s wearing me out. Did two very large houses yesterday, both with large crawl spaces. The first was built onto a steep slope. I had to hang onto stucco with my fingernails to keep from sliding down the slope as I made my way around the exterior. The crawl space was mostly standup, until I made my way from the back (where the entrance was) to the front, which was a change in elevation of about thirty feet. Very, very tight crawl beneath the front portion. By the time I made it back to the bottom & peeled off crawl suit, elbow & knee pads I was overheated & sweaty, which brought on a painful epiosde of coughing. Second house was smaller & on a flat lot, but the entire crawl space was so low that I had to inch my way along & it ended up taking about forty minutes to do it, once again in full gear. Needless to say, the coughing is much worse today. I slept until amlost nine-thirty, which is a half-hour after I should have left the house. Ten-thirty now & the cough is responding to the icky stuff I’m taking, so I’m off to shower & go tackle two more. I think that they both have crawl spaces and the first will probably be on yet another steep slope. Wish me luck!

February 15, 2007

Sports Illustrated

My son moved away from home eight years ago. It seems like most grown kids store things at their parent’s home when they move on. My son’s move was paid by a corporation, so he was able to take everything except for one large, heavy box that got missed because it was stored away out of sight when he was packing. He’s coming to visit next month. He’ll drag that box out while he’s here. He’ll revisit the memories stored in it and say once again that he really needs to ship it to his own home. He’s done that a few times in past years and it’s become a pattern. One day he’ll actually do it. Each time he visits he always asks: “Mom, do you still have my Sports Illustrated collection?” On one visit he went through the collection and culled out a few issues that were damaged or didn’t meet his criteria for “collectable issue.” There are certain issues that he will never get rid of, even if he could sell them on eBay for a thousand bucks. Those are the issues that feature LSU (any sport,) the Super Bowl issues and the Annual Swimsuit Issues.

Elle Macpherson (’87, ‘88, ‘94) and Kathy Ireland (’92, ‘94) were the top models that first enamored him to those special issues. Before that he subscribed strictly because he’s a sports fanatic and Sports Illustrated is the best of the best in sports reporting. I suspect that Elle was his first celebrity crush, and the magnet that originally drew him to the SI Swimsuit Issues.

Now he can get current or past favorite Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models as wallpaper for his cell phone. Did I say can? He’s probably already done it. I’ll have to ask him next time he calls. The only question in my mind is whether he’ll choose wallpaper featuring a model (or models) from the current issue or one of his early favorites.

Beyonce is the 2007 cover girl. The new issue (which comes out, appropriately, today, Valentine’s Day) also features other top models, including Bar Refaeli (who recently broke up with Leonardo DiCaprio), Victoria’s Secret model Heidi Klum, Marisa Miller, Ana Beatriz Barros, tennis star Maria Sharapova and Molly Sims. Since the cell phone wallpapers are only $1.99, I suspect he’ll download several. It’s a good thing that Sports Illustrated sponsored this post so I would know it too, just in case he’s been living under a rock & needs Mom to tell him.

February 14, 2007

I’m grateful for …

My friends Marisa and Jimi both tagged me with the same meme. Three things I am grateful for are:

1. My son. He is my world. He’s amazing and thoughtful and he is very happy with his life. If no other blessing ever comes my way this one is adequate to carry me to the end of my journey.

2. Solvency. Yeah, I know money is not everyting. If you’ve been reading here for a while, you know that I recently came very close to losing my home. You are also aware that I’ve been getting to know my homeless neighbors who camp on the beach near my home. I admire the tenactiy and resilience of these folks who have lost everything yet are still filled with hope for tomorrow. Their survival skills are amazing, and are something that I know I lack. I don’t think I would last long in such circumstances. So, yes. I’m incredibly grateful that my financial situation has turned around.

3. My friends. They hold me up when I sag. They believe that I can overcome when life throws me a curve ball. They freely give me their hearts, their experiences, their wisdom, their wit and a lot of great books, recipes, art and conversation. The two fur-wrapped ones who are my daily companions remind me constantly that I am needed and even adored. Sa-weeeeeeet!

I tag: Cass, Cat and Lisa. Share some good stuff, y’all!

Robinhood Fund

I have several friends who have made wishes lately at Robinhood Fund. One wanted to take his wife, toddler son and newborn daughter to Hawaii to visit old friends. Another had unexpected medical expenses. Both of those wishes were granted, though neither got a great deal of money. Robinhood Fund is a community-based wish-granting website. People post their wishes - naughty or nice - and other community members vote for those they deem worthy of the prize. The contributed funds are distributed among all winners for each voting period. If a lot of funds are received and few wishes approved, the recipients get a higher amount. When numerous wishes are granted or funds are lower, the winners get less. Gifts that are less altruistic are deemed naughty, but they’re not necessarily for bad things. Someone might want a camera “just because,” or a sexy pair of shoes. More worthwhile wishes are deemed nice, and some are for small things that are desperately needed. A hundred dollars to get the lights turned back on, contribution towards the expenses of taking care of an invalid or shirts for an underfunded children’s sports program would fall into this catagory.

The unique thing about Robinhood Fund is that it’s community driven. There’s no board of directors making harsh decisions or CEO raking funds off of the top. Their mission is defined thusly: “The Robinhood Fund is committed to fulfilling as many everyday wishes for as many everyday people as possible. We strive to create an egalitarian environment where anyone can submit a wish, promote it to the world, and have their dreams fulfilled through the wisdom of crowds.”

Worth a look-see, dont you think? Maybe you have a wish you’d like to bring before the community, for yourself or someone else. Perhaps there’s a decadent indulgence you’d enjoy if you just had the money. Check out Robinhood Fund, where dreams really do come true. Vote for a few wishes. Post one of your own. Send them a few bucks if you decide, as I have, that this is a pretty good thing. It gets my vote for very cool!

February 13, 2007

Back to work

I have one inspection scheduled for tomorrow. A little condo in Waikiki. This cold/flu/virus/black death thing has had me laid low. I haven’t worked since last Tuesday, so it’s been a full week of feeling too cruddy to leave the house. Quite frankly, I’d reschedule tomorrow if the inspection had not been scheduled far in advance for a great client who gives me a lot of work and referrals. Waikiki is about a forty mile drive, and traffic and parking are a nightmare down there. The inspection is at ten, so at least I won’t be in drive-time traffic, but I’m still dreading it. It will take about an hour to get there and another to get back. Let’s not forget to include the fifteen minutes or so it will take to inspect the doors, door jambs, cabinets and whatever other wood elements exist inside the little concrete and steel chunk of real estate. I should be back home before noon, so I’m not really complaining. Just anticipating doing it while I’m not feeling my best, I guess.

The client I’m meeting is giving me a full page on her website, which is actually part of the website of a large national realty company. They have over a hundred realtors on the island, so it’s great exposure. I’ve written a bio, some inspection and termite info and some questions and answers she can rotate as part of an ongoing consumer education program. She ususally gives me a lock box code rather than meet me on site. Tomorrow she wants to take some working photos of me to feature on the website. Oh, joy! Red nose, bags under my eyes and probably a dazed look from my first full day of withdrawal from the cold and flu meds I’ve been taking. Wow, how did she know that that’s the exact impression I wanted to create?

Moving on up!

My small business is operated out of my home office. I forward my office phone to my cell whenever I’m out in the field. I have gotten busier, but not busy enough to pay someone to sit in my office and take messages when the phone rings, so this works out well for me. As my business continues to grow, so will my needs. Eventually I will need to start thinking about office staff to relieve me of clerical and billing duties so that I can concentrate on doing inspections and meeting with clients. That’s when I’ll need to consider moving my business out of my home and perhaps into Executive Office Suites. I currently meet with my clients in their offices, on a job site or at a coffee shop. The time may soon come when I need to invite them into my own space. Whether the need is just for an executive address or for a full suite with room for staff and all of the amenities, the professionals at Businessuites are available to provide these services in cities across the country. I currently conduct seminars for my clients at their locations, but that limits me to the personnel of a particular firm. If I were in Executive Office Suites I would have a conference room available and could invite all of my clients to an event that would be more under my own control and would afford them addtional networking opportunities. If I am still not ready for a full-time office staff, I can elect to have support staff provided on a pay-per-use basis, and my suite will come fully furnished and with all of the technology and communications equipment I’ll need.

This is an exciting time for me. When I’m ready to make my move I want someone like Businessuites on my team, helping me to do it right. They sponsored this post and are available to help you today, whether you’re a small-timer like me or a large corporation looking for a change.

Postie Carnival!

Get on over to Cass Knits for a fine roundup of bloggings’s best, all contributed by posties! Posties are folks who get paid to blog about the things they love at PayPerPost. See the little review icon below this post? You can click on an icon like that for any post in my blog and get paid to review it. How cool is that? PPP will create that review opportunity just for you so you can see what it’s all about. If there’s nothing here you want to wax eloquent about, that’s okay. Just click the PPP icon right over there on my sidebar and they’ll hook you up to select from all of the great opportunities they have available. Just don’t forget to check out the Postie Carnival, too!

February 12, 2007

Spell check

I’ve always been a fanatic about spelling words properly. I proofread everything I write several times before I share it with others, then go back and read it again, slap my forehead and wish for instant recall. I have been known to edit my blog posts a half-dozen or more times as I spot mistakes that I somehow managed to glide over with each prior reading.

Some friends are discussing spell-checker software on a message board right now, and you’d think that would be a reasonable solution for me. You would be so very wrong. I don’t see spell checker corrections. It’s analogous to being colorblind, I guess. They’re there, but I am totally unaware of them most of the time. Yes, if I think about it and make myself notice, I see them just fine. Without that directed concentration, fingers flying across the keyboard, they don’t exist for me.

There’s a reason for this, of course. I do termite inspection reports for real estate transactions in Hawaii. When I started my business I created custom templates for my reports, using a friendly competitor’s report forms for guidance. My primary software is Microsoft Word, which has a standard spell checker.

There are two types of termites that are of concern to homeowners in Hawaii. One of them is the drywood termite. I also report on conducive conditions that might attract termites. Sometimes I need to describe evidence found on a lanai or in an ohana. I may note damage to a ridgebeam or rimjoist. I have two pages on Termites in Hawaii appended to each report, followed by a one-page legal disclaimer which my insurer loves and everyone else hates. As you can well imagine, my templates are quite colorful in Word, with red and green squiggles on almost every line.

But the fun is only just beginning. Most, but not all, local place names are Hawaiian. Street and community names in recent reports include Kekuilani Loop, Kapolei, Waialae Avenue, Kokole Street, Kapiolani Boulevard, Pali Momi Street, Waipaipai Street, Walua Road, Kahala, Kuhio Avenue and Kailua Road. The people here are from many places. Some surnames that have crossed my desk recently are Nagatori, Soares, Magabee, Sunio, Heitink, Ehrnhardt, Ogino, Imoto and Lono.

Spell check just does not work in such an exotic environment. When I’ve completed a report, I proofread it, checking each proper noun, letter for letter, against the order form I copied it from. I re-read the report of my findings and the recommendations I’ve made. It’s tedious and makes my eyes burn. I still miss one from time to time. Depending on the egregiousness of the error, my anal-ness may demand that I issue a corrected report to all of the parties involved, along with an apologetic cover letter.

What’s really embarrassing about all of this is that, by ignoring spell check, I’m missing the normal typo/grammar/silly misspelling mistakes that we all make. There are words that my fingers always stumble over. One of them (yes, even after twenty-seven years,) is termites. I’m sure I’ve issued a few reports where termties slipped through. Aobut = about. Fo = of. You all have a few of those, dont’ you? Oh, there’s another. Those apostrophes want to dangle from the end of contractions. Anyone in a normal, English-speaking and -writing environment would catch them all with spell check. I’m waiting for the English/Hawaiian/Samoan/Chinese/Japanese/Tahitian/Portugese/Korean/German/Filipino/
Thai/Vietnamese/French/Spanish/Tongan vesrsion before I start paying attention again. It will need to also address entomology, pesticide chemical names, building terms and modern technological jargon in order to be a helpful tool.

Some day I may tell you about my filing nightmares.
K
Ka
Kaa
Kaaa
Kae
Kah
Kai
Kak
Kal
Kam
…

I’m on the third, make that fourth edit here. Am I ready for my public yet?

February 11, 2007

Flowers for all occasions

Is there a woman alive who doesn’t want flowers for Valentine’s Day? The day is for lovers, of course, but moms and friends and sisters love to get them, too. I once worked for a man who sent a dozen red roses to every woman who worked for him each Valentine’s Day. Why can’t all bosses be that nice?

No matter what the occasion or who it is you’d like to honor, online flower delivery will assure that your expression of affection arrives right on time. Digital Flowers Online also delivers Gourmet Baskets, balloons and other gifts. They’re a certified FTD online florist, and sponsored this post so I could remind you that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.