Host Library 

After setting up your free blog, you are automatically given a default blog template. You have the option of sticking with it or swapping it with a well-designed one. But where should you look? Surprisingly, there you don’t have to look any further than your own host’s library of template design. 

Bloggers of the same host you’re subscribed with often submit their own creations to the website. This is the best chance in finding good free blog templates. You might even stumble upon a design that will perfectly fit your blog’s message. If you’re worried about the price, well, they would certainly not cost you any penny because they’re most likely to be offered for free. And since they are submitted to you’re host blog site, they’ll be easy to use and configure. These types of templates are already optimized for use. Installing them will only take a few clicks. 

Other Blogs 

Other users like to post their personally designed templates on their own blogs. Looking for these designs is as simple as doing a simple query at the search engines. From there, you just have to look for the best blog site, which for you carries the well-designed templates that will surely fit your style. 

Furthermore, professional web designers also put up their own blogs. Oftentimes, they post designs of their own for everyone. This is the best opportunity for you to grab a professionally designed template. Although the design will probably be nothing compared to paid designs, you can expect to get top-notch styles. 

Designers 

If you’re an experienced blogger or website owner, you can opt to hire a professional designer to provide you a specially designed template. While they will certainly cost a lot more than free blog templates, you can expect your blog to be unique. These types of designs typically run from a mere hundreds to a few thousands. What you must remember, though, is to choose a designer who has an extensive portfolio and experience in the business. Don’t forget that you are paying a fortune for the design and must imperatively get your money’s worth. 

Mark Michael Ferrer 
Free Blog Templates

The same principle applies to work ethics: people who have become accustomed to a pressured working life can take on extra work more effectively than someone who might not have been exposed to a regular work routine.  In our modern employment market, the work ethic is becoming undermined by the absence of strong job opportunities.  A great number of younger people, on being disappointed in the job market, rely on the income of parents or even grandparents to enable them to make ends meet. 

Baby boomers with large families will sometimes find they are better qualified to earn a higher salary than their children and grandchildren and so continue to work long after the conventional retirement age, due to what they see as necessity; to support the family financially through an economic downturn.

Psychological articles state that many of the children and grandchildren who are the recipients of baby boomers’ generosity in providing funding for food; clothes; pocket change and other expenses, display a woeful lack of appreciation for the sacrifices being made of their behalf. 

One of the main reasons for this seeming lack of gratitude is simply familiarity: people who have not had the experience of a responsible working environment will rarely understand the effort that is required to hold down a job in a competitive market or even appreciate that they are privileged to receive necessities bought with baby boomers’ hard earned cash.  In fact, they are often so used to receiving money in this way that the idea of earning their own living is novel in the extreme.

To say that this bread winning structure within a family is destructive is to understate the long term effects, not only on family relationships but also on baby boomers’ physical and emotional health.  When a person reaches the age of sixty or more, a natural slowing down process should commence prior to retiring.  It is not acceptable that older family members should automatically become liable to undertake a lengthier career for the sake of younger individuals without either the ability or the opportunity to earn their own living.

Most people simply don’t want to work as a cashier or as a fry cook. It might be something to do while in high school, but anyone who wants to make money will only view it as a temporary situation. More and more, people are seeing that the Internet provides the only job market they actually need.

It’s probably the easiest way to start your own business, when you think about it. You don’t have to set up a store front or pay rent and utilities for your business. You don’t even have to leave home. Anymore, surfing the net is replacing the newspaper at the kitchen table as the morning coffee routine.

Now people are catching on that they don’t have to leave their computers to go to work. Some may start off small, by taking surveys and selling things on eBay. Others might set their sights higher and seek the residual income brass ring with Affiliate Marketing and network marketing. Others still aim higher, and go for a full career at doing everything they can to make money on the home based Internet businesses

The only thing you need to succeed on the Internet is a positive outlook and a game plan. You could plink away at extra money with a small potatoes approach, but why not really get in the game and make some real money?

You really can be your own boss. You really can set your own hours. You really can work as much or as little as you want. What are you waiting for?

For more information about home based Internet businesses visit http://makerealmoneyontheinternet.com/blog/

For those who have not yet felt the strain that comes from blog management, here is a quick overview of what all is included in blog management to prevent you from making the same mistake of too much too quick. Sometimes, the simpler answer may be to outsource someone for your blog management needs, but before you make your final decision you may want to read the following so you can make an educated decision.

Attractive design ;-

Most people fail to realize that blog management includes web design and HTML coding as well as writing new information and responding to comments. The internet is very visually orientated given that if something does not appeal to you in less than a minute you can navigate off and click on a new website. Thus, if you want to get regular traffic on your blog you need to make immediately attractive and structurally appealing.

Consistent updates ;-

People will not continue to check out your blog on a regular basis unless you keep it updated daily. Additionally if you are adding a blog for the purpose of enhancing the SEO value of your website you need to keep it updated frequently for the best results. Time is one factor that most people forget is included in blog management.

SEO optimization ;-

For your blog to optimally increase the amount of traffic your website receives you need to make sure that you pay attention to the SEO aspect of blog management. This includes proper keyword placement, coding, and design. For those who are not technically inclined this can be one of the hardest areas of blog management to handle which is deceiving since most people think SEO only entails copywriting.

Networking ;-

Finally, in order to get the highest amount of viewers and readers possible you have to constantly keep networking your blog link across the internet. With so many forms of social media in existence today this is a never ending job, but the more you network the more you have to gain so a great blog manager will hit the dusty trail on a regular basis to draw attention to his or her blog.

Many websites start blogs to build interest in their products, services, or provide information to consumers and start with the perception that a blog is an easy form of social media to utilize to draw traffic and increase overall SEO efforts. However, blog management is a more complex task then you might initially think and once you start to maintain your website’s blog in addition to every other aspect of your online website you may quickly start to feel overwhelmed.

For those who have not yet felt the strain that comes from blog management, here is a quick overview of what all is included in blog management to prevent you from making the same mistake of too much too quick. Sometimes, the simpler answer may be to outsource someone for your blog management needs, but before you make your final decision you may want to read the following so you can make an educated decision.

Attractive design ;-

Most people fail to realize that blog management includes web design and HTML coding as well as writing new information and responding to comments. The internet is very visually orientated given that if something does not appeal to you in less than a minute you can navigate off and click on a new website. Thus, if you want to get regular traffic on your blog you need to make immediately attractive and structurally appealing.

Consistent updates ;-

People will not continue to check out your blog on a regular basis unless you keep it updated daily. Additionally if you are adding a blog for the purpose of enhancing the SEO value of your website you need to keep it updated frequently for the best results. Time is one factor that most people forget is included in blog management.

SEO optimization ;-

For your blog to optimally increase the amount of traffic your website receives you need to make sure that you pay attention to the SEO aspect of blog management. This includes proper keyword placement, coding, and design. For those who are not technically inclined this can be one of the hardest areas of blog management to handle which is deceiving since most people think SEO only entails copywriting.

Netwo

The world of modeling is a glamorous one, and if you want to become part of it then an excellent tool for finding out the information you need is the internet. You can use it to find photographers and agencies who are reputable and specialize in teen models and/or child models. This means that they have the expertise necessary for helping you get started in modeling and to gain employment.

Many child models and teen models have difficulty starting their career because they don’t have any top modeling agencies in their area. This is where the internet can be very helpful, because you can make contact with other agencies and have your face seen, which is crucial to making a success of modeling. The internet can also help with finding the best people to help you achieve a great look (which is fashionable yet still appropriate for your age), including photographers, make-up artists and hair stylists.

A model’s identity becomes an image they’re known by, and is marketed like a brand. This means that you need to attract interest and attention from the right people. You can do this by means of social networking websites and other online resources. Models of any age, including teen models and child models, should aim to be as visible as they can so that they will come to the attention of agents and potential clients.

You do need to be careful when using social networking sites as a way of promoting your modeling image. Some have large numbers of profiles and agents might not be prepared to wade through them all. It is also possible for images to get lost. A further point is that these sites are public and therefore they could be more suitable for adult models rather than for teen models or child models. There is a different type of site, however, which is suited to teen models and child models, and this is the site which is specifically for modeling.

One excellent tip is to keep a blog and to use it to discuss your career as a model. Adult models can use this tool as well as teen models and child models. You can also keep fans, clients and agents up to date with what you have been doing and keep in contact with them using Twitter.

So you can see that promoting yourself as a model can be quite easy. You just need to find the most useful websites. You need your face to be seen by the right people as often as can be because it is your ‘calling card’, and this is the key to success for adult models, teen models and child models alike.

1. Write at least five informative articles. You need to write at least five tutorial, also called “pillar” articles, giving your audience something of value. Try to shoot for more than 500 words with practical advice. This would be an example of an informative article or “how-to.” The more articles the better.

2. Write at least a post a day. Now this does not mean every one of your posts has to be an informative post. You want to make sure your visitors know that you update your blog regularly. When you first start you should blog everyday. Once you have established a following than you can back off to a couple times a week. The goal is to get subscribers and they only subscribe to current material.

3. Encourage comments on your blog. The more people see others (including you) commenting on your blog the more they are going to want to participate. Again this is about building a relationship with your subscribers. Try posting a question or taking a poll to encourage them to comment on your post. Don’t forget to respond to comments as well.

4. Start commenting on other blogs. Once you have a decent number of posts it is time to venture out into the real world and start sharing it with others. Commenting on others’ blogs is a great way of doing that. Try commenting on blogs in the niche that your blog is in; you want your readers to have similar interests. When you start posting make sure you have something valuable to say. I can not stress this enough, if what you say does not bring value to someone else than don’t say it.

5. Link to other blogs and use trackbacks. A trackback is like having a conversation between blogs; your post will reference someone else’s post. Trackbacks, just like comments will lead back to your site using a link. This is the point where you start to create and build relationships with other bloggers as well as your readers.

I hope you take this information you learned and start applying it to your newly created blog. I encourage you to post a comment so I can see your blog and so we can start implementing some of the skills you just learned.

[/caption] This past weekend, Brittany Murphy suddenly died at the age of 32. Born in Atlanta, she grew up in New Jersey before moving, along with her mother, to LA to pursue an acting career at the tender age of 13. Murphy got her first part a year later and not long afterward was appearing in movies like “Clueless,” “Girl Interrupted,” and eventually “Sin City.” Take a look back at some of her most memorable roles.

Clueless (1995) [/caption] Murphy made a splash in this hit high school comedy as Tai, the fashion-challenged transfer student whom Alicia Silverstone’s Cher takes under her wing.

Girl, Interrupted (1999) Murphy raised her profile in this critically-acclaimed drama, starring alongside Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder and giving a memorable performance as Daisy, a suicidal teen with an eating disorder.

Don’t Say a Word (2001) Holding her own opposite Michael Douglas, Murphy played a disturbed young woman who holds a valuable secret, perhaps best remembered for her line, “I’ll never tell…” which was prominently featured in the film’s ad campaign.

8 Mile (2002) In director Curtis Hanson’s hip hop drama, Murphy starred as wannabe model Alex, who gets romantically entangled with up-and-coming Detroit rapper Eminem in his acting debut.

Uptown Girls (2003) Murphy transitioned from supporting roles to lead with this indie coming-of-age tale about a dead rock star’s daughter who finally steps out her father’s shadow. The movie is also one Dakota Fanning’s first leading roles.

Just Married (2003) Murphy starred opposite her then boyfriend Ashton Kutcher in this tale about a honeymoon gone wrong. Soon after this movie came out, they broke up and Kutcher started dating his future wife, Demi Moore.

Sin City (2005) Even though Murphy appeared in all three of the major stories in Robert Rodriguez’s comic book adaptation, her scenes were all filmed in one day.

Happy Feet (2006)

In this hugely popular animated musical about dancing penguins, Murphy not only voiced the role of Gloria, the bird with the best voice in Antarctica, but also did all of her own singing.

King of the Hill (1997-2009)

 In addition to her burgeoning movie career, Brittany Murphy also did the voice work for Mike Judge’s long-running animated s

First of all, unless you want to spend all day making crochet monkeys, swords or one of many things people sell on eBay, you’ll want to find a supplier whom you can get your items cheaply from. You have to make a profit, and there’s no guarantee that the auction aspect of eBay will drive the price up very much.

If you can mark up your product 3 or 4 times the amount you paid for it and still be competitive, you have a great start. This should be the “Buy Now” price that you will list in the auction. It will also be the price listed in your eBay store.

By the way, while being unique and cornering a new niche is a wonderful thing, you should also make sure that your products are stuff people actually will want to buy. You don’t want to be in a saturated niche to start with, but you also don’t want to be in a niche that no one buys anything from. If there’s nobody selling a particular sell things on eBay, there’s probably a good reason for it.

Of course, you will also have to make sure that it’s a “tangible product,” that is, something you will have to mail to the customer. If you have electronic files that you’re selling, it’s better to burn them to disk before you put them on eBay. It’s a good way to keep your account from getting suspended.

Now you may be a little ambitious and are wondering if there’s a way to make extra money off your product once it’s sold. Yes, there is. In your About Me page, include your outside URL and some copy that will convince them to go to this site to buy your non-physical merchandise.

Not that I would condone this, and eBay might not support it, but let’s say you sell a Playstation on eBay. You could include a link to your own website, where they can buy electronic copies of game guides and guides to hack the Playstation for different games.

For more information about sell stuff on eBay visit http://makerealmoneyontheinternet.com/blog/

Here are 5 simple rules to follow to maintain a steady stream of popular posts to your blog.

Keep it Short and Sweet

Unless you have got a blockbuster post chock full of so much information that the post needs to be article length or longer keep your post short. Most popular posts are of 300 words or less.

The blog reader by nature is like a hummingbird in that they want to quickly drift in read what you got to say they dart off. By keeping your post short they will be able to accomplish this and you also won’t have to labor over a 500 plus word post.

Learn to say more with fewer words!

Supply Content That ‘Serves’

What I mean here is that your content needs to appeal to the reader for some reason or the other. Your content can be of useful information or perhaps something insightful or thought provoking. Even the use of humor is a good idea since everybody ( I hope) enjoys a good laugh!

The point is you always want your reader coming away with something after they have read one of your posts.

Visual Aids

The use of pictures of graphics helps to break up the page somewhat allowing eyes a little less strain. Continuous reading of tightly packed words puts a tremendous strain on the eyes.

By ‘inserting’ a picture or possibly even a short video that may help get your point across you are ‘killing two birds with one stone.’

Guest Blogger

If you experience an occasional brain freeze fear not. You can always ‘enlist’ the aid of a guest blogger who will lend a new perspective to your site. This will also be a fresh experience for your readers and we all know they love fresh!

Down the road you can return the favor and fill in at their site.

Use Links

If you happen across interesting content on another blog do not be afraid to link to it by referring your readers to the material over there. Your readers will appreciate it as will the site owner of the blog you have referred them to.

In the future that blogger could very well return the favor bringing you a new stream of traffic.

Your blog posting is a key factor in attracting both the new blog reader while maintaining the loyalty of the old ones.  Site visitors want content that is of interest to them and they want it often. Most of the popular blogs have realized this and are able to appease their followers with frequent blog entries that serve readers in some way. Whether your post are thought provoking, useful, humorous, or maybe even shocking it doesn’t matter. You just want to be sure they serve some sort of purpose and that your readers know they won’t have to wait long for a new post. By combining the 5 rules above with just a little effort you should be able to easily maintain a steady flow of content to keep your blog alive and flourishing.

      While I treasure the things I did record in my journal, I felt like a failure at my lack of regularity in writing.  That is, until I realized that journaling can come in many forms and types.  Mentioning three might give you some ideas toward developing the positive habit of writing consistently.

• (1) A journal-writing your thoughts by hand in a journal or notebook or keeping a journal on the computer is the most common way to begin to write on a consistent basis. Though it didn’t work for me, some people have taken journals and used the entries for stories or books so they can be a good source of ideas.
• (2) A blog- a blog or web log is an online journal that you post to on the internet, either privately or allowing the public to see what you have to say. I started two different blogs a year ago and post to them every Monday. One blog is on my life as a Christian and the other on my life as a writer. Sometimes the two intermingle but blogging is one way to journal thoughts and connect with others at the same time. To check out my blogs go to http://jenlhall63.blogspot.com/ or http://jenlhall63.christianblogsites.com/blog/
• (3) Articles or “idea” papers- the third way and one I used the most in my early writing years consisted of writing about what I was studying at the moment. Since bible study has been very important to me for many years, I began by simply studying and writing my ideas down. Some would take the form of Bible studies while others were taking Biblical principles and real life experiences to format an “idea” paper. I carefully filed them and kept them which came in handy later when I began writing articles for a church newsletter. These “idea” papers have been useful as I now write for article websites and a women’s magazine. Studying and writing about different subjects kept my interest so I wrote consistently over several years.

     Don’t feel hemmed in when you take a class or go online and people suggest doing things a certain way.  I have certainly tried to learn from the experience of others but when it comes down to it, I had to do what works for me.  Time, personality, work, and obligations all equate into the way that you can personally begin to write on a consistent basis.  The main thing is to write…write…write…

     Next week we will discuss how being a “reader” and reading will make you a better writer.