Mother's Day

It is getting close to that time of year when we need to find a Mother's Day gifts. At least for those of us in the US. Some countries it has already past and some don't have it. Have you ever wondered when it was started and why? I mean yeah I love my Mother and she deserves a gift, but it should be when I want to give it right?

Well for most countries it began a little different and we the settlers came to America they decided to stop Mothering Sunday. The US didn't start it again until 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson decided to make it a Holiday every 2nd Sunday in May. Now it is the 2nd most flower giving holiday.

Carnations were started by Anna Jarvis in 1908. She wanted to remember her Mother and sent 500 carnations to a church in Grafton VA. Where her Mother taught Sunday school for 20 years. The carnations were to be worn by the sons and daughters - one each and 2 for each Mother in attendance. Anna Jarvis also campaigned to have a day to celebrate and honor Mothers.

There were a few more who campaigned to get Mother's day to happen again. They were hoping for a non profit day. Although it didn't turn out that way at least their efforts didn't go in vain. Anna Jarvis could see into the future at what her gesture of the carnations did. Wearing carnations and giving them in church is still done today.

So yes, it is that time to get your Mother a gift. It doesn't have to be expensive or even flowers. A nice phone call, card, or simply a few chores around the house would make her feel loved and wanted. Mom's do things all the time and for 1 day out of the year let them put their feet up and be waited on. I wish I could do that for my Mother even if it wasn't for Mother's Day. I don't need a day for it to be when it is suppose to be done. I can give her a gift on that day or any day I choose.

Valentine Stuff

Well it is getting close to a time of year when it is love and flowers, let's not forget the chocolate! Yep Valentine's Day. Well if you are looking for something, you can look at Valentine Stuff. They have everything you will need and at a good price also.

Also Saint Patrick's Day is coming and if you are looking for some Irish Stuff, then Irish Stuff (yep is the name also) has all you need. History, graphics and decorations. They have Irish Plaques and Signs with Irish Blessings. This site is just filled with all kinds of stuff Irish!

Hire a Pianist for Events in Houston Texas

Houston Pianist Tonya Allender is offering her services via a website now. She can be hired to play piano music for many events. She has 24 years experience and even writes her own piano music.

This pianist for hire may be getting fully booked for the Holidays, so book in advance to make sure you can get this wonderful pianist.

Sorry pianist no longer available.

Ethical SEO Expert

The most irritating thing is to read some ethical SEO Experts preach about ethics when the are not ethical themselves. Yes, it makes you wonder how they can spew out this crud laden BS everywhere. Much more they think they are attacked on a personal level. I say hey bud, you wanna preach ethics be totally ethical yourself!

Don't have sites that are very similar scraper style with some links made for your vacation spots. Yep your so called ethics have been found for those of you ethical SEO activists. Or how about those other blogs that mimic the sites are SEO'ed by the ethical SEO expert huh? Yep, all that preaching about do not engage in link building but are found doing the most unethical thing. It will be exposed every unethical practice

The worst unethical thing an SEO can do is place their link on the clients website. This is stealing from the pocket that pays you!

Making Your House a Home

Your house, the place you live, hang out, socialize in. Is it comfortable? What can make it more comfortable? Home decorating is what it is all about. Do a test, sit in a room with nothing on the walls, all white, plain and bland. How does it make you feel? No warmth at all huh? Add color to the walls and some pictures, lighting, and it makes you feel better more comfortable. What is at the door to greet your guests? Planting a flower bed, adding small touches outside make it more pleasant.

If you looking into decorating your home try some home decor directories, or some sites that offer some advice on how to design and decorate your home.

More Things That Bug Me

Well I just wrote about how stealing images really irritate me, so I thought I would write about another pet peeve. Not getting things you order on time through the mail. I know at times the postal service can be slow or even the company takes their slow sweet time like 2 weeks to get it out. Then charge you out the butt for shipping and handling. Sometimes more than what the bloody thing cost in the first place.

I had a couple of orders from Wal-Mart come missing or taking to long. These were from different days of ordering and supposedly sent out at different times. They ended up using APX. Who in the heck is APX? I had never heard of them. They give my items to an off the wall package service. I thought OK we will see how it goes. By the way, part of one order had been shipped out Priority by the USPS. Which is good as I paid an arm and a leg for shipping.

I ordered quite a bit of stuff. My daughter is having a baby next month in May and she wanted it to be all Pooh items for the big stuff. The first part came within a week. Not bad considering that I live overseas and the USPS takes it to NY, then Military takes it from there to here in Germany where I live. As you can imagine how hard it is to find all Pooh items over here in Germany. This is also my first Grandchild and I wanted to start early on the spoiling.

At any rate, the 2nd part of the stuff was supposedly shipped on the 3rd of March. I ordered the items like Feb the 27th. Enough time to get here right? We will see as the 2nd part isn't here yet. I also put in another order on the 6th of March and it was supposedly shipped out on the 9th. Now I didn't know I wasn't going to get the items within a good time. I have ordered things online before and got them OK. Although I had sent out a package and it took over a moth for the person to get it. I mailed it Priority. I don't scalp people for shipping and handling though.:-) I did get an email that APX had gone bankrupt 2 weeks after my ordering and said it would be a few days delayed. So, I ask again why use an off the wall company????

April the 1st, over a month later on some of the items. Yep the joke is on me. I haven't received the items. I called Wal-Mart and they said they could refund my money or re-send the items. I said I want the items. Why would I have ordered them in the first place if I didn't want them? So, now I have to wait a couple of days for them to track down the items. If they can't find them they will reship it. Then I have to wait a little more. What can I do I have no choice the baby has to have Pooh?

Great news in the end. The items finally get here on April 15th. Phew, thought the baby was going to arrive first!

Image Theft

You know the art of stealing someone's art work or images is worst now than it ever has been. I was just checking out my raw stats from my site and noticed some images being used for someone's else's expressions or backgrounds. People use graphics all over the web. For eye candy they can make a website look nice. You wouldn't think that someone would like an image of fabric swatches but hey it has been used for backgrounds of blogs and other sites.

It isn't the fact that the images are being used really. It is the fact that they were taken without any permission by me and the worst of it is they copy and paste the image making the source from my website. So it is my bandwidth they are using. All they would have to do is at least ask and use their own bandwidth for the image. Or they could at least give the link to my site from which it came. Only fair right?

Image thievery happens a lot for 1 of my sites. I don't know why. But I guess when you have the amount of people who look at the web there will be someone who likes your images. They are easily found on an image search through Google. People think they can just use them even though Google says that the images are probably subject to copyright. Actually all the search engines say this on their image searches.

So the next time you think about using a graphic or an image see where it comes from ask if it is ok. Then SAVE it to your hosting and don't steal bandwidth from the owners graphic or image.

The other thing that gets me is people taking other ideas, like rug patterns. Some time ago I had made a toilet seat cover and a matching contour rug. Well this person that I made it for gave it to one of the ruggers that no longer has a site. I knew this person did this as she had the same name and from the same state that the rugger said she made the pattern for this person. Right after I made it for the person. Yeah this someone took it and gave it to the other rugger who made it and said she worked up her own pattern. Yep, it made me a little mad.

There has been other times of stolen ideas, but of course that is what happens when you have a website and show your photos of what you make. No one had a Christmas stocking rug on the internet crocheted like the kind of accent rugs I make. Well after me doing one and having it online it didn't take someone long to see how easy it was to make one. And this person is selling the pattern of one and a pattern of the toilet rug and seat cover. Some people just have to use others and can't do it for themselves. There is a site that sells copies of patterns and claims to own the copyright. This can not be done. No one can own the copyright unless it was given by the copyright owner. You CAN NOT get permission from the Library of Congress. So when you see something like that it is wrong.

Well I am glad I got that off my chest. Hopefully if you read this you will do well not to copy someone as it is a wrong thing to do. Normally just asking works out better than stealing. You never know you just might get what you want or need, because if you steal it is wrong even if you don't get caught.