Making online friends

They say you can never have too many friends. How very true. It is indeed a small world these days with everyone connected by the internet. Social networking sites have made it easy for anyone to make friends online.It is not just for the young to be part of the online community.

I join Myspace and also Facebook, two very popular social networking sites. Of course as with everything there are those who use it for unsavory purposes. So I am always cautious not to reveal direct contact information. I have come to meet many new friends from all over the world which otherwise I would never have the chance to do so.

My motto is "Be friendly and you will make friends".

At my age, why bother learning to use the internet?

If you had asked me that question some years back, I  would have said I am not interested to learn. Back then, computers and the internet were still at its infant stage and everything looked too technical for me.

As I explore more of the online resources, a whole new world opens up before me. When I was young, books were the main source of  information. Encyclopedia Britannica was one of the best investments as it had a wealth of knowledge on practically every topic. Now at the tips of my fingertips I can research on any topic and several pages of information is available with current news published, videos, comments by anyone and everyone.

The internet is more than just being able to research on any topic under the sun. I am part of a global community where I can be an active participant. It is not just for the young but also for older folks like me.

After all it is not that hard to learn!

For The Dishwasher's Sake, Go Easy On The Detergent!

I read an interesting article today on how we often use our washing machine and dish washer wrongly. Most of us learn to use one through our parents or when we bought our first machine. Through the years, new technology has improved the efficiency of these machines as well as the detergent used but we still continue to apply the same methods more suitable to the older machines.

I know that I often don't follow the amounts stated in the box. Well, my brand new washing machine has its own laundry indicator but I readily add in more thinking it will be cleaner. According to this article, using more may in fact shorten the life of the machine and even damage the clothes. Laundry detergent has so improved that not much soap action is now visible. When you see suds you may be using too much detergent!

So go back and read the label on the detergent box and your washing machine manual and follow the recommended amounts. You will not only prolong the life of your machine and your clothes but save on costs as well. In these tough economic times a small bit of savings can go a long way.

For more on this article read For The Dishwasher's Sake, Go Easy On The Detergent

Getting started with Squidoo

If you are not sure where to start, read this lens on How to get started with Squidoo and you will be on the way to creating your first lens.

Squidoo was founded by the Original Squid, Seth Godin who is an acclaimed public speaker, author and blogger. Seth introduced the concept of "Permission Marketing" which is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.

As in anything, taking that initial step is the hardest. You are always looking for that perfect topic or trying to figure out what you can write about your pet topic.

The easiest way to start is to write on something familiar.You always have the option of not publishing it or even if you do publish it, you can always go back and edit it again. In fact regular editing of a lens is encouraged to keep it fresh.

It is only in the doing, that you will think of new ideas to improve on your lens.

Create your own lens now

How did our grandmothers manage without a washing machine?

Last week my washing machine finally gave up and became a useless metal box! It had been hinting it was in its last days with the wash cycles going haywire. Well, it finally died on me and that was when I had to really respect  my grandmother and the generations before her who never knew the convenience of the washing machine.

It is hard, backbreaking work washing by hand. Now the full laundry basket was more noticeable. Washing with the modern convenience was such a breeze. Just throw in the dirty laundry, switch to the right mode of washing, fill up the tub with water , add in the detergent and Voila! Forty-five minutes later out comes a clean, well-spun load of washing ready to dry in the sun.

Off I went to buy a new machine, a eco-friendly, power saving machine. Alas, I had to wait another 3 days before it could be delivered. So for the next dew days I washed the way my grandmother did. No wonder they were so fit and healthy with a work-out like that everyday.My husband laughed at my loud cheer when the wonderful machine finally arrived. You know, for the price I paid, I got a good deal on my "toy" because it was BIG compared to his tiny hand phone which cost much more!

He can laugh all he likes. I am going to play with my "toy" now! If he laughs too loud he can wash his own dirty laundry - BY HAND!


Thank you to whoever invented the washing machine!

Why I like Squidoo

Being new on Squidoo I discovered it was really user friendly especially for someone who was clueless about HTML codes and other stuff like that. Even with my limited knowledge I was able to create my first Squidoo page.

My very first lens was on my pet topic which was Remedies For A Runny Nose as I was constantly having a runny nose myself. It took me some time to complete it but not bad for a first attempt!

Another reason why I like Squidoo is the way I can add in money making modules like Amazon, Cafe Press, eBay, etc. I do not even need to be an affiliate member to add this module and introduce products related to my lens. If anyone does buy anything I can earn a commission from Amazon.

My Squidoo Journey

The first time I heard about Squidoo I thought it was something to do with photography as they kept using the word "lens". Since I was no good at taking photos I did not accept the invitation. Later I found out that lens had nothing to do with photography and with caution I decided to join Squidoo.

Boy, am I glad I did.

So, what is Squidoo?

Squidoo is a free platform where you can write about anything that you care about. Each page is called a lens and you are called the lenmaster. You can even earn a royalty for charity or yourself!

Join Squidoo! It's free.