I’ve got to admit I’m not a huge fan of “opera”, however when I got this in my inbox I didn’t know what to expect.

Jackie Evancho, from Pittsburg, PA… well trust me even if you’re not a fan of opera, after listening to these, you won’t be thinking the same thing. (I still doubt I’ll run out and buy any records, but… WOW!)

Jackie advances to the Semi-Finals (of course):

We all plot our strategies for life. Some choose just to get by; others work their tails off to make it happen.

Family obviously means the world to Jackie, and the support she gets at home – well we’d all be happy to receive just a third

This is one little girl that should inspire you to always do your best – no matter what life throws at you!

Happy Labor Day!

For the past several months, our sweet Sammy has been getting thinner and thinner. Well, strangely enough, after finding him (or him us) a few years ago at the height of the heat of a Las Vegas summer, he’s never really put on weight. However, he’s eaten like a horse, been checked numerous times at the vet, etc.

That’s what abandoning an animal can do to it. He used up all his potential stores of fat to the point that, no matter how much more he ate (eats), he just never put on weight. Underneath his coat, he “filled out” slightly. Now, unfortunately, he’s back to the skin and bones stage – moderate renal failure per vet tests.

Hence we have learned how to “water the cat” so to speak. I never foresaw having to IV anyone, not human or animal. But the process (if you have the right, amendable cat) is not that hard to do. Numerous VET videos exist online, especially in YouTube.

Just type in “hydrating a cat” or “how to hydrate a cat”. Having the knowledge beforehand, and being shown physically by our vet, has helped a lot.

With the heat unbearable, and it will be well into October most likely, it’s very important to make sure your “pets” (I really hate that term, they should be your “friends” of “family members”) require special attention. No matter where you are in the country!

On what can be considered the positive side, Sammy has taken to drinking from the bathtub faucet. The running water idea was clever, he seems very amiable to it, however, that also means there has to be someone home all the time, or within a short period of time to ensure he gets enough water.

I’m going to be looking at buying a cat drinking fountains (seriously) locally just as soon as I can find the time to get to any local pet store. I’ve done my research, now to find one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!

Okay, it’s not as if the internet isn’t flooded with social communities. In fact, they are coming out our ears. I know it, and you know it. Trying to stay in touch with all of them is – well let’s just say it – a nightmare.

That’s why I almost passed on the latest invitation I received, but something caught my eye.

Does the word “money” mean anything to you?

EchoLoops has an interesting premise. The email I received stated the fact that Facebook and their like are making millions, and that means we are the ones making them so popular. EchoLoops, with its growing traffic numbers, is willing to advance your rankings in the search engines (by being a part of the social circle, these things get indexed fairly easily and you can be there, too). They also mention “rebate checks” for shopping, along with combining the power of Facebook, YouTube, games, shopping, etc.

Now, I haven’t a clue where this will go since I do not (unfortunately) possess a crystal ball. I have filled out my profile in much greater detail then several other spots I thought I would haunt. I’m working on the angle that the more you say, the better things go. We shall see. In the meantime…

Signing up is free. And if you’re just a tad tired of any particular circle that’s been running you around in circles, EchoLoops just may be your answer.

Enjoy!

Earlier today, a good friend of mine was struggling to get high quality ads placed inside posts (not on the sidebar) of WordPress. While it’s easy enough to incorporate photos and the like, and get your text to wrap around said items, two highly used sources (videos and ads) continue to drive people crazy when it comes to wrapping their words around them.

YouTube videos and ads from Pulse360 are just two examples. Often one is forced to leave blank space and start the next paragraph underneath. No amount of playing around with obvious methods seems to satisfy your requirements. However, thanks to remarkableblogger the solution is super easy. (It just takes persistence using the search engines, yes your answer is out there.)

Here’s a screen shot of the highlighted code you would enter around say a YouTube video (you can visit the remarkableblogger above to actually see its placement): (more…)