Understanding PageRank

Principles of PageRank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is not me explaining PageRank.  I still don't really get it.  I'd never even heard of PageRank before I started writing some paid blog posts several years ago.  Then I learned that it was something to be desired, and the more active my blog was and the more other blogs I could get to link to my blog, the higher my PageRank went.

Except that Google doesn't like paid posts and paid links, so they can randomly take away any PageRank a blogger may have earned - which then means none of the advertisers who were willing to pay for posts and links are at all interested in paying for new ones.  In fact, they're all asking to have those same links removed ASAP because Google has also penalized their sites.  Except, of course there's no payment for removing said links, except in rare cases.  Somehow I just have to find the time to remove multiple links, all of them really important.

Anyway, the reason I was thinking of this is that I just renewed this domain.  I was thinking about just dropping it because I don't use it as often as I thought I might, but then I ran this PageRank Checker and found out this page as a PageRank of 2.  Considering I rarely update this blog and don't really do anything with it, that's quite surprising.  On the other hand, my recipe blog bcmom's kitchen has a PageRank of 0.  Zero.  I may not update it as often as I should, but I really do use that blog, and I know there are other blogs linking to it.  And I've never done paid posts there.  So what's up with that?  Yeah, makes no sense to me.

So, I renewed this domain - whether I really need it or not.  At least one of my blogs has a PageRank of some kind, even though it really doesn't seem to matter unless I'm going to sell posts or links - which would then make Google take away any Rank I might have.  Just Because.  Yep, I definitely understand this PageRank thing.  How about you?

How to Make Symbols with Your Keyboard

Ctrl and Alt keys on a modern Windows keyboard
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just came across this on Facebook, and I'm saving it for later.  And sharing because I thought you might be interested, too. 

± ¢ ☺ ← and those are my test symbols.  It works!  Just hold down the Alt key while you enter the numbers.  It looks like nothing is happening, but as soon as you let go of the Alt key, the symbol appears like magic!  Try it.  You know you want to.

Note: you must be sure the 'NUM LOCK' key is on and use the numeric section of your keyboard, NOT the numbers above your letter keys. 

HOW TO MAKE SYMBOLS WITH KEYBOARD

Alt + 0153..... ™... trademark symbol
Alt + 0169.... ©.... copyright symbol
Alt + 0174..... ®....registered ­ trademark symbol
Alt + 0176 ...°......degree symbol
Alt + 0177 ...±....plus-or ­-minus sign
Alt + 0182 ...¶.....paragr­aph mark
Alt + 0190 ...¾....fractio­n, three-fourths
Alt + 0215 ....×.....multi­plication sign
Alt + 0162...¢....the ­ cent sign
Alt + 0161.....¡..... ­.upside down exclamation point
Alt + 0191.....¿..... ­upside down question mark
Alt + 1.......☺....smiley face
Alt + 2 ......☻.....black smiley face
Alt + 15.....☼.....sun
Alt + 12......♀.....female sign
Alt + 11.....♂......m­ale sign
Alt + 6.......♠.....spade
Alt + 5.......♣...... ­Club
Alt + 3.......♥...... ­Heart
Alt + 4.......♦...... ­Diamond
Alt + 13......♪.....e­ighth note
Alt + 14......♫...... ­beamed eighth note
Alt + 8721.... ∑.... N-ary summation (auto sum)
Alt + 251.....√.....square root check mark
Alt + 8236.....∞..... ­infinity
Alt + 24.......↑..... ­up arrow
Alt + 25......↓...... ­down arrow
Alt + 26.....→.....r­ght arrow
Alt + 27......←.....l­eft arrow
Alt + 18.....↕......u­p/down arrow
Alt + 29......↔...lef­t right arrow

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Counting Words

Sometimes I need to know how many words I've typed into one of my posts.  There's a site that I usually use - Word Count Tool - but occasionally it won't load, like tonight.  So this is a list of alternatives.

• Words Counter
• Javascript Kit Cut & Paste Word Count
  This one even gives you the code to embed your own word count box on your website:
  
  
  

  This free script provided by JavaScript Kit

• Word Counter
• WordCounterTool - this one can also be used to test your typing speed

They all work in the same way - simply type into the box or copy and paste your post, or whatever else you need to count, and it counts your words for you.  All of them are free to use.

And, of course, you're free to use the word count box I've put into this post.  I just tested it, and it works perfectly!

Undecided?

Vote Oregon! (Photo credit: jugbo)

The election is coming up.  Soon.  By now most people have a pretty clear idea of who they will be voting for.  Some have already voted.  However, according to the media, there are quite a few people out there who are still undecided.

If you're one of those undecided voters - and even if you already think you know who you're voting for - be sure to take the Presidential Election Quiz at ISidewith.com.  The quiz will ask you questions about the issues to determine where you stand.  Be sure to click on the 'Choose another stance' option for more options, because most of these issues are not simply black and white or Yes or No questions.  You might end up choosing Yes or No, but it's good to at least read all the options.

There's at least one question where I forgot to do that, and at least one of those other options would have been more in line with my beliefs.

Anyway, once you answer all the questions, ISidewith.com will analyze your responses, compare them to the candidates' stands on each of the issues, and let you know which candidates you most agree with on those issues.  It might just help voters make up their minds or at least help to educate them on where the candidates stand on the issues.

More Free Kindle Books

I'm never going to find the time to read them all, but I certainly do love collecting free kindle books!  There are a couple sites I visit - and Like on facebook so I know what they're posting - to find them.  Today I got an email about a site I hadn't visited before, and I'm really liking it.  It's a nice, visual site with just the covers and titles of the books.  I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I do tend to pick books with interesting covers, so this page is kind of like browsing the shelves in the library or bookstore - and being able to grab the ones that look good.  All you have to do is click on the ones that look interesting, and the site takes you directly to Amazon to 'purchase' them. 

Of course, since I haven't read any of them yet, I don't know if the insides of the books are as interesting as their covers.  The ones I grabbed all had pretty good reviews, though.  And since they're free kindle books, they'll be worth at least as much as I paid for them - and they won't take up any room on my shelves.  I'm not sure how often the site is updated with free books, but I'll be checking back to see what's listed.

As always, be sure to double-check the price before you buy - because prices can change.  Don't have a Kindle?  You can get your Kindle here.

Find a Common Connection Through DNA with ConnectMyDNA™

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ConnectMyDNA.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
Here's an interesting service.  It's called ConnectMyDNA™.  They analyze your DNA, not to look at your ancestry or your past, but to find connections today.  They combine your numeric DNA test results into graphical data and apply it to a circular pattern of 13 rings - called the Gene Ring™.  It's like your own personal fingerprint where the green markers and their position around each ring represent the unique values found in your DNA.  You get an eye-catching symbolization of your unique genetic makeup, which is also a scientifically accurate tool that allows you to visually compare your DNA profile to friends, families and population groups around the world - to find connections with other people you probably had no idea you were connected with!
 

I don't really know my ancestry or genealogy - mainly because it just doesn't seem all that relevant to me, so I've never paid that much attention.  But this in not an ancestry test, but a way of finding similarities to today’s populations and people around the world.  Finding out who I'm connected with now could be fun.  Maybe I've got a lot in common with people who live somewhere tropical near a beach!  I really have no idea, but  it  would be interesting to find out, wouldn't it?  ConnectMyDNA™ compares your personal genetic markers to a massive world-wide database of DNA profiles to determine which population group you most closely resemble.  In some cases, it might be what you expect, but it could also be very surprising.
The process is fairly simple:

1. Collect your DNA sample using the DNA Collection Kit they send you - a simple swab of the cheeks - and mail it back in the postage-paid envelope.
2. Their secure lab extracts the DNA from the swab and converts it into scientific data.  They use one of the world’s leading DNA testing facilities, providing the highest level of quality and accuracy of results.
3. Get your results online by logging into the Members area.  You'll get access to online tools that allow you to share and compare your results with friends, family, and people around the world.

Serial numbers are used to track your order, not your name, and there is no sensitive information provided by the ring  - so it's up to you use and share your results as you wish.

If you're interested in finding out what your DNA says about you and the people you're connected with in this world, be sure to check out ConnectMyDNA™.  They're offering a really great deal right now.  Use coupon code IZEA290512 to get the reduced price of $29.00 - regularly $89.95, so that's a huge savings.  Who knows - maybe we'll find out we're connected!

Bad Grammar Just Makes You Look Dumb

Anybody who knows me knows that stupid grammar mistakes drive me crazy - and those mistakes are everywhere.  No matter how smart you might be, making these mistakes can make you look dumb.

Take a little time to read through these tips and refer to them as often as you need to:

Like this infographic? Get more copywriting tips from Copyblogger.

No need to look silly or dumb any longer!

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Love this Version!

Image via CrunchBaseAbout a year ago, one of my friends mentioned on Facebook that she had started an online Bible reading plan together with a couple other friends.  Being nosy, or always looking for a good site for Bible reading, I asked her what site they were using.  That's how I found YouVersion, and I really love it.  They have many, many, many different Bible versions for reading, and it's so handy when I'm online and want to look up a scripture.  You can even use the Parallel option to compare two versions at once.

There are lots of reading plans to choose from - over 150.  Choose a plan, and YouVersion sets it up for you and gives you the daily readings - and keeps track of your progress.  I just started a Chronological plan to read through the entire Bible in chronological order, and my plan is 1.4% complete!  I hope I won't need to do it too often, but YouVersion also has an option to 'Catch Me Up!' so if you get behind (or read ahead) it will reset the calendar to make you current.  This is good for me because I tend to get discouraged when I get behind a few days and despair of ever catching up - so this way I can just catch up and continue with the plan.  I think it sets people up for success.

YouVersion is also available as a Mobile App for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows phone, and practically everything else - meaning you can take your Bible reading with you everywhere you go!  I love it.  I've got it on my tablet, and it makes the daily Bible reading so nice, and it keeps track of my progress as I go.  I also love that the app makes it super easy to share verses to Facebook!  and take notes, and highlight meaningful verses.  All the Bible versions that are available on the web are available in the app if you're connected to the Internet or your service provider, and many of them are available for download, meaning you can read the ones you download literally anytime, anyplace, even when you can’t connect to your service provider or to the Internet.  This Sunday and Monday, two versions that aren't usually available for download will be - the NIV and NLT.  They will only be available from 12am Central time on Sunday October 30 through 11:59pm on Monday October 31.  The NLT is one of my favorite versions, so I'm planning to download that one.  Usually I'm using my tablet here or somewhere that I'm connected to WiFi, but you never know, and I like knowing I will always have it available.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying everything YouVersion has to offer, and I'm sure there are even more features that I haven't discovered yet.  And did I mention that it's all FREE!

Tools for Better Blogging

Image by Colin ZHU via FlickrI really need to check out this list of 15 Must-Have Tools for Better Blogging. It's a list of tools, sites, and plug-ins that 'most bloggers have never heard of' and are supposed to help increase the engagement of your blog readers.

Quickly glancing through it, I recognize and use a few of these, Zemanta and Google Analytics to name a couple.  There are several that I've not heard of, and I really want to check them out.

How many of them have you heard of or do you use?

Show Sidebar Content on the Home Page Only

I recently had an advertiser that wanted to place an ad on one of my other blogs.   I gave some him some options and prices, but what he really wanted was something I didn't think was possible.  He wanted a link in my sidebar, but he just wanted that link on the home page of the blog and not on all the other pages.  I'm not sure exactly why he wanted that, maybe thought it would cost a bit less?

Whatever the reason, I had to tell him that I didn't know of any way to do that.  Whatever is in the sidebar is on every page and post of the blog.  That's just how it is.  So no ad.  Then I read this article the other day that explains how to have some of your sidebar content on the home page only.  I don't know how she figured out that it was even possible or how to do it, but I'm definitely saving these instructions so I can do it if anyone asks again. 

Besides ads, what other reasons would you have for showing some sidebar content on just the home page and not the rest of  your blog?

I Keep "Buying" Free Kindle Books

image via AmazonNow that I've got my Android tablet with the free Kindle for Android app, I've been loading it up with free Kindle books.  There are plenty of  them available.

I found a couple sites that are really helpful for finding lots of them:

• Week in Rewind
• Kindle Nation Daily

Every day they list several free and bargain Kindle books, and I find myself grabbing a lot of them.  It's kind of addicting!  Now, if I can just find time to read them all...

Linking with Images

I participate in a couple memes each week, most of the time anyway.  Each week, the host posts a link list, and we all sign in.  Usually you just leave your name and url, but I recently came across inlinkz, a free linking tool that includes thumbnail images.  Instead of just leaving a text link, participants are able to choose an image from the page they are linking to.  I thought it was really cool - especially for photo memes.

Today I visited Linky Tools and saw that they have a new thumbnail Linky that allows the same thing.  Linky Tools actually has a whole list of Linky types to choose from:

• Basic Linky: This is the basic MckLinky List... people leave a title and link it to their blog. Use it for any reason you can dream up. 
• Thumbnail Linky: A thumbnail linky has a collection of image thumbnails instead of a list of text titles and links. Lots of fun! Give it a try 
• Blog Hop Linky: A Blog Hop is a group of bloggers who display the SAME LIST OF LINKS on their blogs, usually with some sort of theme or topic. 
• Picture Caption Linky: 1) Invite readers to leave suggested picture captions, then 2) rank them or choose winners...  
• Contest Entry Linky: Run a contest or some sort of giveaway on your blog. 1) Readers enter their content submissions as per your instructions then 2) you choose winners OR 1st Place, 2nd Place, etc.
• Prayer Request Linky: Have your readers leave their prayer request and link. 
• Answer Linky: Ask your readers a question and let them leave their answer and a link to their blog or email. 
• Question Linky: Have your readers leave their questions for you and a link to their blog or email. 
• Ideas Linky: 1) Ask readers to help you come up with new ideas for a project, event or topic; then 2) rank them or choose winners. 
• Top X Linky: Create Top 10, Top 5 or Top 3 list (from 1-10). 1) Ask readers for their entries for a Top X List then 2) choose and rank the winning entries.  
• Create A Story Linky: Fun! Start a story in your blog post and invite your blog readers to help "write it" by adding on to the end of the story (the list). Use a theme or plot, or just start one and see what happens.

I'm thinking I need to play with some of these - maybe that Ideas Linky, asking for post ideas or something.

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Getting Started in Genealogy - Free Download

I've never really gotten into it, but I know a lot of people enjoy looking into their genealogy and family history.  The Internet makes it a lot easier than it used to be, but it's still hard to know where to start and where to look.  I got an email today offering this free e-book download - Getting Started in Genealogy Online - and thought others might be interested in it.

It's 67 pages of basic information to help you get started tracing your family tree online.

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Free Photoshop Brushes

I came across this list of free Photoshop brushes today - the best brushes in various categories.  There are some nice looking ones here, and I think I could have some fun with some of these.  I haven't downloaded or installed any of them, so I'm saving this list for later.

Screen Capture Tools

Giveaway of the Day offered a Screen Capture program today that was not very popular.  I didn't bother to download it, because I've been using PicPick for a while, and I really like it - and because everyone who looked at or tried this one had nothing but bad things to say about it.  The good thing about that is that there were a whole lot of suggestions for free screen capture programs and tools.  I went through all the comments and tried to list them all here:

• MWSnap
• FastStone Capture V5.3
• Screenpresso
• Gadwin PrintScreen
• Jing by Techsmith
• ScreenHunter
• greenshot (I like the little frog on this one, but that's beside the point)
• jetScreenshot
• Screenshot Captor
• Snippy
• and Windows Vista or Windows 7 include a program called “SNIPPING TOOL” to capture items from your screen and store in a folder of your choice.

I haven't tried any of these, except Jing, which I liked but never re-installed after I re-formatted my computer.  I really should, I liked it.  But if you need a screen capture tool, I thought it would be nice to have a list to choose from.  Hopefully something here will work for you.

Free Web Conferencing

I did a quick search for free web conferencing solutions - because someone we know wants to spend $500 for another year of Go To Meeting - and we really don't use it enough to justify that. If we hosted larger meetings and more often, maybe, but for what we do one of these free options will work just fine.

• DimDim - So simple anyone can use it. Unlike other web conference products, Dimdim does not require users to install software on their computers to attend web meetings. Users can start or join meetings with just a few clicks. Dimdim is available for free so everyone - not just big companies with big budgets - can use it.
• Yugma - Yugma free web conferencing allows anyone, anywhere to instantly share their desktop and ideas online with others - up to 20 attendees. I'm thinking the Skype Edition looks really promising.
• Vyew - free for up to 10 attendees, has ads. Browser based with no download required.

All of these are upgradeable if you need additional features - and for less than $500/year.

For phone conferencing there's:

• FreeConferencing.com - up to 1000 callers with NO reservations, free recording and downloads.
• Free Conference Calling - up to 500 callers - on demand conference calling, free recording and MP3 playback, and conference call security.

Free Help for All Things Web Related

Image via Wikipedia

I keep coming back to this site when searching for web design information. The tutorials and explanations are simple and easy to understand, at least the ones I've used so far. They have tutorials on basic html, javascript, CSS, and beyond. You can also find tutorials for using popular graphics programs to create some great effects, free online tools and resources, and a whole lot more.

No wonder I keep coming back - there is so much here! As they say:

EchoEcho.Com is your one stop free help site for all things web related.

I think it's definitely going to be my first stop.

Font Squirrel

Image by Stewf via Flickr

A question on twitter today led me to this site - Font Squirrel. It's an entire site full of free high quality fonts, all of them licensed for commercial use. That means you can use them for anything you need them for. I've already downloaded a couple I really like. I'm not sure what I'm going to use them for, but you can never have too many fonts, right?

Font Squirrel also provided a link to this cool What the Font tool. If you've seen a font somewhere but you don't know what it is, you can upload an image and they'll find the closest matches in their database. If that doesn't work, you can submit your image to the forum and have font geeks all over the world help you identify your font. This ought to come in very handy, because I'm really bad at recognizing fonts. They'll never confuse me with a font geek!

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Looking for Online Storage

My favorite online storage and backup service, MyBloop, has disappeared recently. I did a little bit of searching to see if I could figure out what happened to it, but no one seems to know. If you do know something, please let me know.

Luckily, I saved this link to the Ultimate Review of Free Online Storage and Backup - so if I need to choose another site, this will be a great place to start. I think the best course of action is to choose at least two different sites and upload everything to both. It seems sort of redundant, but that way if one or the other server goes down, for any reason, there's always a backup. A backup of a backup, if you will.

Free Sounds

I was reading my dad's blog today, and he posted a link to a whip-poor-will call. He was talking about the difference between the whip-poor-will's call and the call of another bird, and it was very nice to be able to hear what he was talking about. While I was listening to the bird sound, I noticed that it was hosted on a site I hadn't seen before, so I had to check it out.

It's called soundboard, and there are all kinds of free sounds and sound effects - tens of thousands, they say. You can browse the site to find sounds you like, or that fit a particular blog post. Sound boards are organized by category, or you can search for the sound you need. You can download the sounds you want. Sign up for a free account and upload your own sounds, you get 125MB storage, or just add the sounds you like from other members' sound boards. You can even choose a specific sound and embed that into a blog post or website, like this:


(I'm watching a Star Trek special on the History Channel, so I thought this was appropriate)

I suppose my dad could have done the same thing with his whip-poor-will call, but then I wouldn't have had to visit soundboard! I just signed up for my free account because I think this site is going to come in handy.