robeth

Redirecting My Energy

2011-10-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Demand Media aka Demand Studios

2011-10-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting run writing for Demand Media aka Demand Studios. I started writing for them over three years ago. I watched the company experience growing pains, evolve, change its logo and revise its name.

There are two constants with Demand Media. They faithfully pay as promised. I only recall two times when payment was delayed by one day, due to a technical glitch.

The other constant – their public relations skills suck. No really. I am serious. I sometimes wonder if they go out of their way to piss the freelancers off. Writers are not employees of Demand Media; they are independent contractors.

I’ve wondered for some time - who is in charge of their PR? Whoever it is, they are relatively clueless when it comes to human nature and the needs of freelancers.

On one hand, they seem to go out of their way coming up with showy goodwill gestures. These include a health insurance, grant program, cash incentives for writing on holidays, Demand Deals and the like.

Yet one doesn’t have to look closely to realize the insurance program is virtually worthless. The chances of landing a grant or cash incentive is slim, due to the competition and Demand Deals makes us wonder what kind of kick backs the company is making off of the program, in effect using its freelance database to scam more profits for the company while giving the illusion they are doing us a favor.

I imagine most people would agree (if only grudgingly) that Demand Media has every right to cut back work to freelancers (which is the case in this instance), if that is what their market dictates. Business is business, most people do understand.

Yet, it is how the company chose to make the announcement to the freelancers, which is the issue for many.

We are talking poor communication skills and ill-drafted letters, from a company that is supposed to be in the communications business.

A word to Demand Media: when delivering bad news, if you tell the person receiving the news you are "Excited" to be giving the bad news, it is bound to make the person a tab more pissed. Kinda reminds me of that person who wants to be the first to call everyone to inform him or her of a death. Personally, I hate making those phone calls.

But if Demand Media's intention was to prove they are bad ass corporation, up there with the big boys like Bank of America – Good job!!!!

Smashwords and eBooks

2011-07-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

The eBooks we offer are typically in PDF. But, that file type isn’t convenient for all the eBook readers on the market today, such as Kindle, Nook, iPad and Sony Reader. So, I decided to give Smashwords a try, and set up an account

I’ve converted two of my books into Smashwords editions – so now readers who want something other than a PDF have that option. You can now get Motherhood and A Brief History of Havasu Palms for your Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony Reader, Palm Reader, Kobo, Stanza, Aldiko, and Adobe Digital Editions.

Have a look!

The right is pushing me to the left.

2011-06-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Okay….Here I go getting political again.

Since I don’t consider myself a Republican or Democrat, I want each party to put forward their best candidate. I confess, I have not been thrilled with the Republican offering for the last few elections. In fact, I’ve come up with a new phrase that pretty much sums it up…the right is pushing me to the left.

I was prepared to give one of the Republican frontrunners, Mitt Romney, a consideration. Not that I would necessarily vote for him, but I was hoping he was someone that I wouldn’t hate getting the presidency. I kept hearing he was this great businessman, and that this country needs a president with business savvy.

After a closer look….nope, that didn’t work out for me.

There is such a wide divide between the haves and have-nots in America, that it getting a little scary, IMO. I am not a socialist by any means, as I’ve always considered myself a capitalist, a capitalist with a conscience. Which is actually somewhat of an oxymoron.

In my opinion, corporate sharks like Mitt Romney have helped to destroy this country. While I’m not accusing him of doing anything illegal, I question his moral integrity. How many bazillions does a person need before he stops sucking the blood of the misfortunate just because the opportunity exists?

While Mike Huckabee is not my favorite Republican, I now understand what he may have meant when he accused Romney of being soulless.

I wonder …..does Romney see a reflection when he looks in the mirror?

Getting Political – On Anthony Weiner

2011-06-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

I rarely (yet sometimes) get political on this blog. But I am sick and tired of turning on the television to get some news, only to have more discussion about Anthony Weiner, and if he should or shouldn’t resign.

I’ve always suspected many of our politicians are liars. Anthony Weiner just clarified it for us. He is a liar, and he will readily lie to his constituency.

I’m also tired of hearing this portrayed as some Democrat issue. Really? It seems both parties have their share of liars and cheats. I wish both sides of the party line would tone down the holier than thou attitudes. It always reminds me of the Clinton fiasco, and how Edwards (a Dem) and Gingrich' (a Rep) both chastised Clinton’s behavior. Well, we all know how that worked out.

I believe the issue of Weiner resigning should be up to his constituency. He is not my congressman. If his constituency wants a liar representing them, then that is their right. But, if the majority of his constituents want him to step down, he should step down.

The thing about America, we have the right to vote in our representatives, and as long as he or she does not do something that clearly makes him or her legally ineligible to hold office, then I don’t think it is fair to his constituency to have other members of congress tell them they can’t keep their elected representative.

I think Weiner should conduct a poll amongst his constituency (with him personally footing the bill) to find out what they want. He owes them that, IMO.

Personally, I would never vote for him. It is not as much a morals thing on his tweeting escapade, as it is the fact he didn’t just lie, he was stupid about it. I believe we need smart people representing us.

So now…can we get back to the important issues of the day, like the economy??????

Ebooks from Robeth

2011-06-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Take a minute to check out our homepage at Robeth.com, which features our current eBooks and other products, available for immediate download. It is what we call, immediate gratification.

Best Places to Retire

2011-05-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Best Places to Retire

I was a Gay Bluebird

2011-05-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true. I was a Gay Bluebird. Or was my sister the Gay Bluebird?

For those who don’t know what kind of a Bluebird I am referring to, Bluebirds were to Campfire Girls what Brownies are to Girl Scouts. In my youth, I was a Campfire Girl, not a Girl Scout, and before I was a Campfire Girl, I was a Bluebird.

Back then, we named our troops. My sister, who is four years older than I am, was also a Bluebird, before she became a Campfire Girl. One of our troops voted to call ourselves the “Gay Bluebirds.” Yet, Mom can’t seem to recall which of our troops selected that name, and neither can I.

Yet, that is not the point of this blog entry. The point being, the word “Gay” once had a very different connotation than today. For us Bluebirds, it simply meant we were happy.

Today lawmakers are passing “Don’t say Gay” laws in Tennessee. I suspect the law doesn’t actually forbid saying the word (although I could be wrong) but more about forbidding discussion of homosexuality in some schools.

While I may not be “Gay” by today’s popular definition, I certainly don’t have an issue with those who are, yet apparently many people do, which is obvious by this law. Defenders of the law say it is about controlling sex education for young school children, yet I don’t believe the discussion of “Gay” is all about sex. Just as I don’t think marriage between a man and a woman is all about sex.

Now seems an appropriate time to promote my greeting cards and line of Cartoon Balloon People items. I like to think they are gay by the traditional definition (happy cards) and some promote a sunny outlook when it comes to accepting other people.

Cartoon Balloon People

2011-05-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

This week we opened a new Zazzle store dedicated entirely to our Cartoon Balloon People. It is easier to search for your favorite balloon art, and a wider selection of merchandise offered. Please stop by the store and have a look!

Earning Money Online

2011-05-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I held several local classes to help some of my friends and acquaintances learn more about online moneymaking opportunities. We live in a small city, about an hour away from the next town, so job opportunities are sometimes scarce, even during a better economy.

There are a number of ways to work at home, using your computer and internet. When preparing the class I put together a collection of links, including websites seeking writers, secret shoppers, customer service personnel, online teachers and more.

Today I updated the links, removing the outdated links, and the ones leading to webpages that didn’t offer anything more than more links.

If you are looking for a way to generate extra income, make money online, or work at home, visit our website and check out the links. If you know someone looking to make money online, pass on the link.

http://robeth.com/links.htm

Cartoon Balloon People

2011-05-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

Have you met our Cartoon Balloon People? I’ve created a new webpage just for the Balloon People. Click on the card to check it out!

Lady Napping

2011-05-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Lady is napping by my desk as I work. The picture was taken with my new iPod Touch. It is a quick way to capture an image to use on a blog. Much faster than using my digital camera.

Don and I visited our daughter's family last week, to celebrate our granddaughter's first birthday. My mother and mother-in-law stayed with Lady and Spooky. Mom tells me Lady was very clingy while we were gone, not letting mom out of her sight.

When we got home, Lady was sooooooo excited to see me. She kept nibbling me, in her Aussie way, while her tail wouldn't stop wiggle waggling. Since I returned home, she has been constantly by my side.

Lady and Spooky

2011-05-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

In the near future I'll be adding some new cards and images to our Lady and Spooky greeting cards. To promote the cards, I am considering starting a twitter account for Lady and Spooky.

The only question I have....how to I convince our Aussie and Halloween Cat to regularly send tweets??

Added Twitter

2011-04-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

I opened two new Twitter accounts, for two of our websites. One is for Havasu Magazine, and the other for Free Image Place. I'll be tweeting to let subscribers know when I've updated the websites.

Yesterday I added lots of new stock photos, including images of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Guard and the Tower of London. In time for the Royal Wedding. :)

If you have a friend who needs some free stock images, please let them know about Free Image Place!

Free Image Place Revamp

2011-04-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

I've been busy updating one of our websites...Free Image Place, which has been neglected, and begged for updating!

It's a place to pick up free stock images for your non-commercial website or blog. We will be adding new images each day, and there is still lots of work to do, yet if you need a picture for one of your online postings, maybe we have one you can use...for free!

Interested in Self-Publishing?

2011-04-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

A few years I got into a forum tussle with another online writer who happened to visit my Robeth Publishing website, and left without understanding what it was all about. She went on to tell the other forum members how I was a fake publisher, and insinuated I was one of those companies who prey on aspiring writers.

The fact is, I publish my original works, such as novelty books and greeting cards, under Robeth Publishing, LLC. At one time, we published a monthly community magazine in California, as well as an annual full-color magazine. But, we sold the community magazine about a decade ago.

We don’t solicit the works of aspiring young writers – nor do we publish their work. But, I do share (on the website) information I’ve learned over the years in regards to self-publishing. Most of the information is free, although I do currently have an eBook of interest to self-publishers, which cost less than $5.

Ironically, my accuser happened to have her own publishing company, and editing services, and did make a good chunk of her living off of aspiring writers. While I never claimed she wasn’t legit, I find it ironic that she was accusing me of behavior that she herself was engaged in.

If you are interested in self-publishing, I posted recently a series of new articles on the subject, and hope to add more in the near future.

Birthdays, Dogs and Cats

2011-04-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Today is my mother's birthday. She is 83 today. While we were chatting in my home office, her sister called her to sing her "Happy Birthday." During the phone call Spooky decided to groom Lady. Mom loves watching those two interact, and tells me just watching this was a great birthday gift.

Lady, taking a break

2011-03-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Mom stopped by my home office to have a chat while I took a break from writing. Lady decided to take this opportunity to turn Mom's feet into a head rest.

I do love that puppy! :)

Lady talking

2011-02-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

I've never posted a video directly to my blog before. It isn't the greatest quality video, but I wanted to share how Lady talks. She really does. She talks. The woman's voice in the background is my mom's. At one point Mom makes a crack about no one liking me. Actually, that is sorta a private joke between Mom and I, inspired from one of our favorite scenes from Steel Magnolias.

Hope you enjoy listening to what Lady has to say!

Keeping a Ledger

2011-02-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Do you keep promising yourself to write in your diary, keep up your ledger or regularly post on your blog? Do you have difficulty remembering when you moved into your new house, broke your big toe or some other event, and curse yourself for not keeping a ledger, so you could keep track of those little happenings in your life?

If you email - don't despair. You may discover a ledger of sorts hidden in the files of your email.

Last night I started printing out hundreds of emails (sent and received), spanning almost nine years. I was stunned at how, when read in chronological order, they painted a picture of my life.

Buy a Ticket

2011-01-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

I have some friends who believe the solution to everything in life is prayer. Some of these people continually struggle; confident the resolution to the problem is just around the corner if they continue to pray.

I believe in the power of prayer; yet, I’m also reminded of an old dumb-blond joke. (Apologies to the blonds.)

This blond is struggling financially, and gets on her hands and knees, praying for God to let her win the lottery.

She continues to pray, yet things get worse and worse. She loses her car, home everything. After each loss and setback she gets on her hands and knees and prays, asking God to let her win the lottery.

Finally, after losing everything, she asks God why he did not answer her prayers. After all, she was a faithful and obedient person.

God does answer….with three words: “Buy a ticket!”

For me, that sorta sums up the prayer thing. I believe God does answer prayers, yet he expects you to get in there and do the work too. He gave us free will, which makes me think he doesn’t expect us to go through life passively.

Just a thought.

Puppy Love

2011-01-24T19:47:00.001-08:00

Last night we visited friends and took Lady along, so she could see her boyfriend. His name is Duke, a red retriever that looks just like Duke the Bush Bean dog. Yet, instead of stealing the Bush recipe, he has stolen Lady’s heart.

They make us laugh. When she was a small puppy, and Duke a year or so, they would romp and play like they were both puppies. It always amazed us at how gently he was with her. She would literally dive bomb him, yet he seemed to understand she was much smaller.

Now she is fully grown, and they still play rough and tumble. But, now they take nap breaks. This is after a wild romp…time to rest, and nose to nose. The picture was taken with my cell phone, which explains why it is a bit fuzzy. But I couldn’t resist snapping the shot.

And no…there will be no puppies from these two.

Lady and Spooky - Fast Friends

2011-01-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

This picture cracks me up. Spooky the Halloween Cat was napping on the couch when Lady decided to join him. She climbed up, snuggled in, and about squished poor Spooky, who didn't budge.

Crazy dog and cat!

Dogs and Couches

2011-01-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Lady isn't allowed up on the living room couch. Yet, sometimes she forgets that. And sometimes she even rearranges the couch pillow so it feels juuuuusssstttttttt right.

Meeting the Grandbaby

2011-01-05T19:34:00.001-08:00

Lady met the grandbaby over Christmas.

I wasn't sure how it was going to go. Lady has never been around babies, and she does that nibble thing. But her nibbles are about herding, not hurting.

She was gentle with the baby and didn't seem overly curious.