Candid Thoughts on Education, Science, Love and Life. Also, prayers for all occasions, news on Life , love, health, learning, blogging and the thoughts in between.
It was 3 pm and the cool, nifty air blasted my face as we were slowly climbing up the steep zigzag road to the City of Pines. My granddaughter was staring at the scenic mountaintops as our car painstakingly spluttered up the sharp incline. She was pointing to the distant hills where houses were dangerously perched, when the engine suddenly croaked and the car stalled in the middle of the road. The driver had to tinker with the engine to find out what was wrong. We huddled at the side of the road as we watched some patches of fogs drifting by. The sun peeked shyly behind the blazing sun but the air was still cold and gelid. It was February, the coldest month of the year. We were meeting hubby at the summer capital, for the first time since Christmas. He was stationed at the provincial office and had gone home only every end of the month.
Imagine how I was not able to shirk my responsibility as mother and father, in many instances.
At that instant, I stared helpless at the driver; he seemed not to know much of what he was doing. I was not familiar with the city, but I had my laptop and my broadband, so I tried surfing for information about auto repair shops nearby. I visited several sites but the data was insufficient. I did not find one site that was able to answer all my questions; I had to visit several sites.
Imagine my surprise when I chanced upon this site, which has a complete and a very organized information about car models like the Honda Civic with detailed information of prices and all information a buyer would like to know. It has even a comprehensive information where to find a reputable company that sells, among others, a head gasket.
If you are apprehensive of whom to bring your car to, for repair. You do not have to stress yourself out looking for a reputable company; you could find them using the tips of your fingers. Even the best Los Angeles auto repair can be found just by a click of your mouse.
There are various writing sites available online; so many - you would be confused which among them would serve you best. Helium stands out from all the rest because of the following reasons:
1. Your queries are promptly attended to. There is always someone who can reply to your questions; whether these are on the policies, mechanics of the site or on articles you have posted. The replies are also not "programmed replies". Each message is replied to individually.
2. A ranking system is in place in which members rank each other based on the merit of the article. This is a distinctly Heliumite feature. It is only in Helium that writers - like you - rank articles. You're ensured of a fair ranking after several members have read your article. This ranking system motivates you to write better and lends more excitement as you watch your well written article climb the ranking ladder to rank 1.
3. Majority of Helium members are very supportive and are willing to lend a helping hand. There are channel stewards whom you can approach for help in any of your writing concerns. The support is very personal and not mechanical as some sites offer. You are connected with real writers, who are experts in their particular field. You would often receive an encouraging email from stewards or other Helium writers. You could easily comment on other written articles too.
4. There is a mentoring system in which you can have a mentor (for free) to help develop your writing skills. They are easily contacted through the provided feature that Helium has added to its site, and amazingly, this feature is on a one-on-one basis.
5. There are several options from which you can earn good money.
5.1. Marketplace
Writers are given a topic by "would be advertisers." The advertiser gets to select an article and the writer is paid ranging from $ 20 to $200 depending upon the specifications of the article.
5.2. Journalism awards
Writers compose articles for the site's citizen journalism partners and are given the exposure and chance to become an international freelance journalist.
5.3. Writing contests
Writers compete on several titles and could win in each category: $ 60- first prize, $ 40 second prize and $ 30 third prize.
5.4. Star bonuses, empty title bonus, writer's stimulus incentives, rating star bonuses
These are some of the bonuses that writers get on top of all the upfront and active article earnings. Sometimes writers earn as much as $ 50 and even more on these bonuses alone.
5.5. Upfront
payments for starred members Writers can easily earn $ 0.50, $ 1.00, $ 1.50, $ 2.00 and $ 2.50 per article depending upon their writing stars (writing stars are up to 5 stars.) The other requirement is for them to maintain 1 rating star.
5.6. Active articles earnings
Writers are given a share of the site's daily earnings as long as they maintain 1 rating star. This is very easy to obtain just by rating 10 articles within a month. Rating is fun as you get to notice other writers' errors and learn from them. You are also given the chance to read great articles and get important pointers too.
6. You can never have writer's block at Helium as hundred of titles are available for you to write about. You can also suggest a title if your topic is not found among the titles.
7. The site is user friendly. You can hop from one feature to another without getting confused. A few minutes of browsing would acquaint you with the site very easily.
8. A community forum is in place for all members. This is well managed and attended to. You can come in contact with other writers and discuss your concerns. There are threads in all of the channels that would correspond to your area of interest.
These are the major advantages why you should write for Helium. As they say, "the real test of the pudding is in the eating," so join now and experience for yourself these unique and distinctly Helium features.
I have always loved gardens. When I was a child, we planted sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants at our backyard garden. The soil was robust and the plants grew vibrantly, even without fertilizers. We had also vast rice fields and tobacco plantations, which we tended to during summer months when we were on vacation from school.
These were rewarding experiences. I learned how to weed my garden plots, water my plants, and watch them grow from seedlings to fully-grown plants. It was a miracle for me to witness such a wonderful process.
Now, that I am living in the city, I miss gardening. I long for those days when I could wake up early in the morning, while the plants were still rejoicing with the sparkling dews of the previous rainfall. It was such a refreshing sight and a fulfilling moment. I would flutter like a butterfly around my small garden and marvel at the growing tiny seedlings.
I guess I will have to be contented with growing indoor plants in superbly and intricately crafted indoor planters. I am lucky to have discovered where to purchase them in the future, when I would have ample budget. There is also a decorative planter that would be great for my living room.
I could use some window box planters to brighten up my front door with their unique and stylish designs.
Having plants at home once again is a dream I hope to fulfill someday. Not only because they enliven the surroundings but because scientists have proven that they are good for the health.
Plants take in carbon dioxide –the air that we exhale- and bring out oxygen –the air that we inhale. Live in a healthier environment by cultivating indoor and outdoor plants.
Plant in your backyard or in your indoor planters and savor the joys of gardening.
People who are fond of going to the bar have definitely tried the famous drink, margarita. Margarita blended with ice or frozen margarita is a popular serving. Finding the bar that serves the best-frozen margarita is expensive and time consuming. However, the best-frozen margarita is right in your own kitchen. In less than a minute, get the best drink. Just follow these few simple steps and next time you will surely host a margarita party in your place.
Things You’ll Need: Ingredients:
3 oz frozen limeade 3 oz triple sec 3 oz tequila ½ cup crushed ice A plate of salt 1 piece lemon wedge
Equipment:
Blender
The Steps:
1.Place 3 oz of limeade, 3 oz triple sec and 3 oz of tequila in a blender.
2.Gradually add ½ cup crushed ice.
3.Set the blender at highest speed for about 30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth.
4.Rub the cocktail glass with lime and dip in a plate of salt to coat the rim. To coat the rim well, twist the glass a few times.
5.Pour mixture into the cocktail glass and garnish the margarita cocktail glass with a lemon wedge.
6.Serve immediately.
Tips:
1.Tequila comes in five categories based on the length of aging process Blanco, Joven Añejo, Reposado , Añejo and Extra Añejo. The Extra Añejo is tequila at its best. Highly recommended brands of tequila are Patron, Cabo Wabo, Sauza, Don Julio, Jose Cuevo, Corralejo, Herradura and Chinaco.
2.Triple sec sweetens a drink. Adding more Triple sec makes the mixture sweeter. Suggested brands are those made from brandy or Cognac.
3.For those who do not like the touch of salt in the lips but like the taste of it in the drink, add a dash of salt directly to the margarita. Some may prefer sugar instead of salt. In this case, just substitute the salt with sugar.
4.If the mixture is too thick, you can add limejuice. If it is too thin, add more ice.
5.Adding fruits like strawberries, raspberry or banana gives the drink a variation. Mix this with the other ingredients and just follow the same steps above.
6.For a more frozen experience, chill the margarita glass for a few minutes before use. Warning:
1.Since frozen margarita is an alcoholic drink, consider the alcohol content of the tequila and triple sec. Most tequila come in 80 proof and triple sec in 60 proofs. Do not drive after taking a frozen margarita. Many countries and states prohibit driving when intoxicated with alcohol.
When I did my weekend blog hopping, I chanced upon Liz’ blog "Blog Guardian Hellsite: Overcashed, and read about how she earned $111.00 from oDesk. I was impressed because the highest payout I had received from one site so far was only $85.
I got curious and clicked on her link to oDesk. I liked what I saw, so I signed up. At first, I was ready to give up because I found out that I had to pass the oDesk readiness test, and at my age, I do not fancy reviewing for an exam anymore, lol. But as the cliché’ goes,” no pain, no gain” so I chewed on my nails and motivated myself to read on and give a little effort, just for 10 minutes. I passed the exam and realized, it was not really that difficult.
I modified my provider’s profile to add the links to my blogs and my other writing ventures and applied for a job; that was December 12, 2009.
I was excited to get into the heat of the action. I applied to at least 20 jobs.
I was ecstatic when two replied, and I got my first job on December 24, then another on January 2, and then more. I even declined some because I would not be able to meet the deadlines.
As of this moment, I already earned $ 270.50 and there are still ongoing articles, they have not paid yet.
I could earn more, but I am now the one who is giving up with so many job offers. I could earn as much as I want, even up to a 5-digit mark, if I do not have a full time day job.
What is even more amazing is that I earn as I learn, and writing for oDesk has been an enriching stage of knowledge acquisition.
I traveled the world, from Shenzhen, China, to the Pantheon in Rome, to the Merlion in Singapore.
I learned about the specification of road bikes, that my birthstone opal is actually colorless, and many more valuable information that I would have not obtained if I have not written for oDesk.
I have the passion for writing and I am happy that I could share information to people online while I learn simultaneously. Perhaps after several more months, I may be a walking encyclopedia. Lol.
Thank you, oDesk for this significant and rewarding experience.
Bacteriology is a field of microbiology which deals with the study of bacteria. This field also includes the study of the structure, specific functions and the corresponding actions of the bacteria on living organisms. There are specific characteristics that classify microorganisms into bacteria.
Bacteria have the following characteristics:
1.They are subdivided into 3 phenotypic categories namely:
1.1.Gram-positive with cell walls. These are bacteria that are colored violet when stained because they absorb the initial stain.
1.2.Gram-negative with cell walls. These are bacteria that do not absorb the initial stain but the secondary stain instead and are colored pink.
1.3. Without cell walls. These are the bacteria that do not have protective cell covering. 2. Bacteria could also be classified through their cell morphology. They have 3 basic types:
2.1. Spherical or round shaped which are called cocci.
They usually stain gram-positive (take up the initial stain- crystal violet) and may occur in pairs (diplococci), or in chains (streptococci), or in clusters (staphylococci). There are exceptions to the rule with regard to the staining methods; like the Neisseria species, which are pink because they are gram-negative.
2.2. Rectangular or rod-shaped which are called bacilli They may occur singly, in pairs or in chains. They usually stain gram-negative (take up the counter stain safranin). There are exceptions to the rule too; one is Bacillus anthracis which is gram positive.
Short rounded rods are called coccobacilli. The family Enterobacteriaceae is an example of bacilli
2.3.Spiral or curved shaped which are called spirilla. Examples of these are the Vibrio species. The spiral shaped microorganisms are called spirochetes. One example is the causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum, which is coiled tightly.
2.4.There are certain species which could not be classified through gram staining because their waxy cell wall could not take up the gram stain, but only through the acid fast stain (Uses carbol fuchsin and heat). Examples of these are the Mycobacterium species like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis.
3.Bacteria could also be classified by their motility:
3.1.Motile they could move through the use of flagella (whip like projections), pseudopods (blunt projections), cilia (hair like projections)
3.2.Non-motile they stay immobile and stationary because they lack the means of locomotion.
4.Bacteria could be classified according to their pathogenicity
4.1.Pathogenic these are diseases causing because they have capsules, pili and enterotoxins, like Bacillus anthracis- causes anthrax
Clostridium botulinum causes botulism, and many others.
4.2.Non-pathogenic these do not cause any disease. Examples are Lactobacillus in the stomach, Staphylococcus in the skin, etc.
5.Bacteria could be classified according to their oxygen requirement into:
5.1.Obligate aerobe those that need oxygen to survive.
5.2.Microaerophile those that could survive with little amount of oxygen.
5.3.Facultative anaerobe those that could survive in non-oxygenated and oxygenated environment.
5.4.Aerotolerant anaerobe those that are facultative anaerobe but could grow in the presence of oxygen.
5.5.Obligate anaerobe those that are incapable of surviving in the presence of oxygen.
5.6.Capnophiles they need elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide.
6.They could be cultured in agar media to form colonies (clumps of bacteria) and stained through differential stains and examined for their morphological characteristics. This will help clinicians identify the bacteria, and consequently the disease present in the patient.
7.Culture and sensitivity could also be performed to determine what drug could cure the disease.
The bacteria are made to multiply by culturing them and then are testing them against antibiotics, whether they are resistant or sensitive to the drugs.
8.In order to survive, bacteria also need these vital substances like carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, calcium.
Bacteriology is a dynamic and rapidly growing science. As long as the world continues to exist, bacteria would also continue to proliferate and contribute - positively or negatively - towards the eco-system and our human existence. We could get infected any day and any time. That is why we need something secure to anchor to, a health insurance that would take care of our needs in case we get hospitalized. Online we can get connected to insurance leads which would provide us with health and life insurance agents who can obtain for us the health insurance that we prefer. Health and insurance agents who would like to connect to customers could also visit this site and obtain reliable clients.
These insurance leads connect also agents to real clients.
So what are you waiting for, take active participation in insuring your health.
When I have successfully finished a job or two, I treat myself by buying a gift. I usually do not have anything in mind so I tour around the mall hoping I can select one of the items displayed in their windowsills and colorful display shelves. I end up buying things I did not intend to buy in the first place. And almost always, I overspent.
At times, know what to buy and I have a list of other alternatives, but still I tend to be a compulsive buyer. The problem now is that my budget for the whole month is ruined and I will have to look for other sources of funds.
I want to try shopping online this Valentine’s Day for aninvicta swiss watch, I am sure he would love it. For my daughter wouldn’t it be so good if I could buy her a Jessica Simpson Clancey Boots? These are all cool gifts and I am sure they will be well appreciated.
I would like to buy mother also a sturdy and much needed rubbermaid high chair. She has had chores requiring her to reach out and she would not because of her small frame. It would surely help her in her everyday little activities.
Shopping online would be fun, especially if you have enough cash, you can click and click on the items and purchase them. It is also easier to shop on line, you do not have to fall in line when paying, all it takes is a few clicks, and you are done buying. You can select goods in the comfort of your room. There are more and more online stores opening. Surf and search them, look for reviews of the site before you proceed to click on your “PayPal sent money” Better to be sure than to be sorry later.
Blogging meets are always exciting adventures for me because I get to meet bloggers from distant places, people whom I admire and have read only online. I am able to read them and get to know them before I meet them in person because I believe a blogger’s character shows in his posts eventually, no matter how he tries to hide it.
This blogger I am talking about have been a friend of a friend and I have to admit, I was not a regular visitor to his blog before the meeting. I have heard about him through this friend and he had assured me that he was a good man. Skeptical as I was, I suspended my judgment.
During the first blog meet up we were supposed to meet, but he was not able to make it. It was fine with me because I didn’t really know him as my friend did.
Then the third meet –up came. They told me he was coming. I was excited of meeting him in person.
The day came, my first impression was,“He looks like...” he he he…but as soon as I talked to him, I was surprised, he was brilliant, or rather his ideas were brilliant. He had good, valid plans and I was just wondering, what happened to those plans now??? He he he. Those plans are workable and doable and attainable, they could be a milestone in blogging. Well?
He made me laugh my heart out, I’ve had stomachaches. He also is a raconteur, a good singer, and most of all a gentleman. Don’t ask me why. He just is.
And I’m talking about no other than the well touted of- Roel of Bloggista.com. He’s a person with a great vision and dream. Bloggista is also a Business Systems and IT Consultant. He travels to almost all points of the archipelago for business. He also has a free blogging site Bloggista.net if you want to join in. I did. lol. But I am still not an expert in WP, so It’s raw.
And now that you've said it Jan, yes I definitely agree, a singer too. How could I have forgotten that? I apologize to his fans. There is a song somewhere, if you can follow the rice droppings, it'll lead you there, and dancing too.
Thanks Roel for coming over and sharing your thoughts with us. Iyong drawing? Papaano na? lol
