Women Blog

Let’s take life a little lighter since it’s the weekend we are talking about. Some of you may be heading for the beach today or tomorrow and if you are, good on you! It’s good to relax with the family, sip a glass of wine with some friends, have a light hearted picnic or beach party, put on your new summer swimsuits, flaunt your latest summer dresses and put on your trendy shades. If the beach is your destination this weekend, don’t forget to protect your face with a good Solar Defense FaceBlock SPF30 or the Dermalogica Solar Defense WaterBlock Solar Spray SPF30 for the entire family. Enjoy your weekend at the beach!

Some of you who follow my blog may know that I’m moving into internet marketing in the near future. Whenever the term internet marketing is used, it is hard to separate from affiliate marketing. Whether you like it or not, affiliate marketing has become the lifeblood of most internet marketers today. I would believe that most of you have heard about Google Adsense, CJ, Linkshare…etc. Few days ago, I was introduced to PepperJam Network. Like many other affiliate marketing programs, Pepperjam offers two types of payment options: Cost-Per-Action (CPA) and Percentage of a sale.

CPA commission payouts typically refer to flat payout offers such as submission of an e-mail, completion of a form, or performing a specific action. Percentage-of-sale payouts are associated with transactions that include a shopping cart or purchase.

One of the attractive features of Pepperjam Network is that when you become an affiliate of the network, you get paid a referral fee and for the entire month of July, the network will pay affiliates a flat $7 for every new publisher referral. That’s not all! If you sign up by clicking on THE BANNER BELOW this month (ONLY JULY, that is), you will get a sign up bonus of $10! How many of you have become an affiliate of other networks and find it hard to earn even $5? So HURRY and sign up NOW to earn your $10!*

What are you waiting for? Pepperjam Network is Now Offering a $10 Affiliate Sign On Bonus. Join Today.* Please remember, you will only get your $10 Sign-On Bonus if you click on the RED banner above or the text link below the banner. Only for the month of JULY!

*only for approved publishers - no spammers will be entertained!

Revolutionary thermometer designed to take body temperature, for home and clinical use

Kidz-Med, Inc. (subsidiary of American Scientific Resources Inc. Pink Sheets: ASFX), United States distributor of the Thermofocus(R) 5-in-1 non-contact thermometer, is pleased to announce the results of a clinical study conducted by the Second Children’s Clinic of the University of Milan, in Milan, Italy, which proves that the Thermofocus(R) measures body temperature in infants and children accurately and safely, and also produces results comparable with conventional thermometers.

The Thermofocus(R) non-contact infrared thermometer, which is designed to take a temperature reading in a second from the temporal artery on the forehead, is available online at Kidz-Med, Inc. (www.kidzmed.com).

The study compared the 21st Century thermometer, billed as the first at distance, clinical thermometer in the world, to commercially available infrared and digital thermometers, that take oral, rectal, ear, and armpit readings.

The study concludes,  “Measuring body temperature with a non-contact infrared radiation device is completely safe and provides correct, reliable measurement of body temperature at different body sites without skin contact. This last feature is particularly advantageous for ambulatories and emergency department services where modes of transmission of disease need to be strictly controlled.”

CEO of American Scientific Resources, Dr. Christopher F. Tirotta is responsible for bringing the revolutionary device to the United States.

Dr. Tirotta says, “This scientific data validates the reasons why the general public can trust the Thermofocus thermometer as an accurate and safe way to take a child’s temperature. By taking a temperature quickly, easily and effectively, this thermometer provides a trauma-free experience to the child and parent or caregiver alike.”

The Thermofocus(R) 5-in-1 non-contact thermometer takes an accurate temperature in one second, and has multiple uses that include taking readings of food, bath water, room temperature and baby’s bottle. It is recommended by doctors and pediatricians throughout the UK, Europe and Asia and has even been used by medical personnel in Asia during the SARS epidemic (See BBC article).

The Thermofocus can be seen on YouTube.com, and in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. It has also been profiled at Thingamababy.com, and AudioStocks.com.

Source: Kidz-Med, Inc.

I got an email from a friend asking how she can start earning some money as a stay at home mom. Many of them know that I’ve been blogging for the last two years and sometimes, it puzzles them that I can make an income from blogging.

It all started when I began doing paid reviews for advertisers. I didn’t start off thinking that the income from blogging can pay for our family vacation. I just wanted to learn how to blog and along the way, my online network grew and I became more active in paid blogging. When you write reviews for advertisers, you can expect all sorts of topics, from writing about Proactiv acne cream to Online Business Programs to Credit Report Repair. But the nice thing is you get to choose your advertisers for some of the paid blogging networks.

While I cannot tell or predict on the future of paid blogging, it’s still a good way to earn some fuel money or pocket money for stay at home moms who run blogs. And for those who criticize and have negative sentiments about paid blogging, just be more open since this is a legitimate means of earning a living for many. Not many people have great talents and skills so we just have to be as useful as we can - for the good of ourselves and those around us.

If you ask about my opinions on online learning two years ago, I might respond in skepticism. But after two years of blogging, learning from other online bloggers, internet marketers and watching online tutorials and videos, I have to agree that online learning is the future.

As online learning continue to grow in popularity, the educational experts have also ventured into online university degree by offering more learning opportunities to those who can’t afford to study full time. I have read about the stories of many stay at home moms who pursue online degrees to further their academic ambitions. Online school like Capella University has even launched online academic writing center available to the public. Learn More About Earning Your College Degree Online!

In fact, learning online as a work at home mom can open up more money making opportunities. All it takes is research, time, commitment, determination, efforts and an open mind. Do you know that it is possible to make $200 to $900 a day on Google?

Women Speak Out At Nation’s Largest Casual Games Conference

King (http://www.king.com/), the world’s leading online social gaming company, revealed the outcome of an industry-first, live focus group held at this year’s Casual Connect games conference in Seattle, WA. King invited five women gamers from 34 to 71 years old to address leaders from the $2.5 billion+ casual games industry and provide insight to the 150 million women who play online casual games each day*.

“While people in the casual games industry have known that women make up the majority of casual gamers, we rarely get to hear directly from these women,” said Riccardo Zacconi, CEO, King. “With over 60% of our 10 million monthly visitors being women, King is very attuned to this audience and wanted to ensure their voices were heard.”

The panel titled ‘The Games Women Play,’ attracted industry influencers, developers, gamers, media and players. Attendees heard directly from the players about what types of games they enjoy, whether they play to relax or compete, whether they play for money and what they look for in the future. Points of interest include:

• While statistics state women typically spend 7.4 hours per week playing games, the panelists cited they play between 5 and 10 hours per day

• Playing casual games is often the first thing women do when they wake up. They check their ranking and play for between 2-3 hours every morning

• Trivia games are played with the family while action games are played alone

• Women are increasingly playing to compete against each other and not simply to relax. All panelists cited “competition” as their driving motivation

• While community was an important aspect of their online playing experience, none of the panelists had a Facebook profile and two had a MySpace profile

One of the participating panelists and a King player, Coral “Joy” Parks, 47, expressed her excitement for the experience by saying: “It’s great that King is taking the opportunity to help the games industry understand our demographic. My typical day involves me rolling out of bed, going straight to the laptop and playing a game even before I’ve made my coffee.”

(*)According to the Casual Games Association, 2007
About King:

Founded in 2004, King is the world’s leading social gaming company, with its premier gaming destinations King.com and MyGame.com accounting for more than 80 games and over 196 million games played per month. King’s MyGame.com is the first social games site to bring together user-generated content, casual games and revenue-sharing.

King is the exclusive provider of cash games for Yahoo! and has led industry firsts through partnerships with: NBC, Endemol, Fremantle Media and other leading media companies. The company is known for extending the brand of popular TV properties such as The Biggest Loser, Deal or No Deal and 1vs100.

King is incorporated in the state of Delaware and the company has offices in Los Angeles, London, Hamburg (Germany) and Stockholm (Sweden). King.com does not offer money tournaments in the states of Alaska, Iowa, Arizona, Louisiana, Arkansas, Maryland, Connecticut, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, Delaware, South Dakota, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois or Vermont.

Source: King

My internet connection is worrying me. Since last night, I haven’t been able to access ALL my blogs and sites and due to that, I couldn’t get anything done. As a work at home woman, I can be very dependent on technology and when I’m faced with a hiccup like this, my productivity is seriously hindered - sigh!

I contacted my reliable hosting company and they were helpful to offer lots of advices, though there wasn’t any issue with their server. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much help from my local internet service provider which I thought was really disappointing. But with a request to reset the data port on the technical end and clearing of cache on my side, it is now finally working and that’s why I can post this brief post. Now I can resume my work at home duties and get all my outstanding tasks completed… who knows when the next hiccup may surface. Argrrhhh… the side effects of technology dependency!

Prostitution penetrated the news in a major way in recent months — from ex-governor Eliot Spitzer of New York and his paid binges with women to the suicide of DC madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey and the Showtime fluff of “Secret Diary of A Call Girl.”

But the media, politicians and feminists have not grappled with the real complexities of prostitution. In its new Online edition, “Works Hard for Her Money: Feminists and Prostitutes,” ON THE ISSUES MAGAZINE releases compelling original content — diverse articles, art and poetry that challenge current notions and urge new thinking.

“The issue of prostitution has divided feminists for years,” writes publisher and editor-in-chief Merle Hoffman in “Divide, Conquer and Sell.” “Is the prostitute herself a victim of an oppressive patriarchal system, or a free agent choosing sex work as a rational career choice in difficult circumstances?” Since sex is “a continually renewable resource — unlike other body resources (sales of kidneys), it does not self-exhaust; it can just keep giving … we ask who owns that resource, who has the power to use, abuse, buy and sell it,” writes Hoffman.

Angela Bonavoglia’s “Of Victims and Vixens” describes the feminist abolitionists who link prostitution to violence against women and their clash in worldview with women who run sex-for-pay services and see it as empowering. Juhu Thukral explains how differing interpretations of human rights by feminists has become a flashpoint in new anti-trafficking legislation in “Feminist Divisions Cause Real-World Repercussions.”

Major thinkers and artists offer other perspectives. In “Pimping: The World’s Oldest Profession,” Kathleen Barry frames in vivid terms why some feminists see prostitution as bondage. Carol Leigh, aka “The Scarlot Harlot,” describes the frustration of erotic laborers who are denied basic rights. Artist Suzanne Lacy, featured by art editor Linda Stein, narrates a display of her travels with a prostitute.

To these provocative topics, Shere Hite, known for her work on female sexuality, calls for a redefinition of women’s pleasure in “Female Orgasm Today.”

The range of the voices on the topic also include Alexis Greene on a gripping play by Lynn Nottage about war, rape and prostitution in Africa; Sonia Ossorio of NYC-NOW on stricter anti-trafficking laws; Ann Jordan on hardships caused by brothel crackdowns in Cambodia; poets Minne Bruce Pratt and Erin Whitfield with two views on the aftereffects of prostitution. Other works are by Bernadette Barton, Rita Nakashima Brock, Ariel Dougherty, Mahin Hassibi, Norma Ramos, Jane Roberts, Nicole Witte Solomon and artists Audrey Anastasi and Tiana Markova-Gold. Videos, including BeyondMedia’s “Turning The Corner,” are mounted.

ON THE ISSUES MAGAZINE will probe the topic further with new commentary in its unique feature, “The Cafe,” with incisive feminist voices.

A print publication from 1983-1999, ON THE ISSUES MAGAZINE Online offers full archives and all content for free as a committed public service to upgrade the level of feminist conversation. Visit www.ontheissuesmagazine.com

Source: On The Issues Magazine

Nine-time Swimming National Champion Calls Surviving Cancer Greater Accomplishment than Winning Gold

Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R), the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists committed to ending breast cancer forever, has named Deena Deardurff Schmidt as San Diego’s 2008 Honorary Breast Cancer Survivor. Schmidt, former head swimming coach at San Diego State University, 1972 Olympic gold medalist, and swimming world record holder, will serve as an inspirational spokesperson to help raise awareness of breast cancer screening and education in San Diego County and support Komen San Diego in its mission to eradicate breast cancer forever.

Schmidt, who dedicated most of her adult life to swimming, both as a competitive athlete and a women’s collegiate swimming coach, has always maintained a healthy lifestyle and stayed in top physical shape. Finding a lump in her breast during a routine self breast exam in the shower was a huge surprise to her. When Schmidt was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47, her life changed forever.

“I quickly learned that breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. It is a disease that can affect anyone regardless of age, race and physical stature,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt underwent two lumpectomies, a mastectomy and chemotherapy for her breast cancer. Her undying determination, the support of her friends and family and the breast cancer resources and information available to her were driving forces in her fight against breast cancer. Schmidt is now a breast cancer survivor, and she has made it her mission to speak out and help others learn more about the disease.

“In the beginning I had thought, foolishly, that no one needed to know what I was up against, but when I learned that one in eight women would be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, I felt it was my duty to open up and share my story,” added Schmidt. “I encourage women to use the resources and advice provided by medical professionals and organizations like Komen to educate themselves about early detection methods and available breast cancer screening and treatment options. These resources helped me in my battle against the disease, and to me, the victory of survivorship is a greater victory than winning Olympic gold.”

On Sunday, November 2, 2008, Deena Deardurff Schmidt, along with more than 13,000 San Diegans are expected to unite in Balboa Park for the Twelfth Annual Susan G. Komen San Diego Race for the Cure(R). A survivor ceremony will be held prior to the race to recognize Schmidt as well as other San Diego breast cancer survivors.

For additional information about the San Diego Race for the Cure or Susan G. Komen for the Cure, please visit the national Web site at http://www.komen.org/, or the San Diego Affiliate web site at http://www.sdkomen.org/. San Diegans can sign up for the November 2, 2008 San Diego Race for the Cure on the San Diego Affiliate web site, or by calling In Motion at (760) 692-2900.

Source: Susan G. Komen for the Cure

‘Nobody could believe it,’ say North Carolina fertility experts, reflecting on fears of the past, hopes of the future

With July 25 marking the thirtieth birthday of the world’s first “test-tube baby,” Charlotte fertility specialists say that much of the initial worries over the brave new world of in vitro fertilization (IVF) have given way to unforeseen sociological and medical developments that few could have predicted over the last three decades — accompanied at the same time by the rise of new issues beyond healthcare.

“Prior to IVF, infertility care was primarily a surgical specialty related to uterine and tubal surgery for women,” said Dr. Jack Crain of Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte. When Louise Joy Brown was born on July 25, 1978 in England, Crain was early in his reproductive medicine career.

Advancements in embryology technology have brought medical breakthroughs and greater reproductive freedom. The combination, said Crain, has put the maturing medical specialty under a different kind of lens than was the case in 1978.

“Nobody could believe it when the Brown baby was born,” Crain said. “Doctors had been trying for years, but there were many technological problems. Fortunately, much of the initial religious concern has been allayed by education and acceptance of the medical benefits of IVF.”

During the last few decades, advancements in embryology technology and now-routine procedures such as ultrasound have dramatically improved reproductive medicine with higher success rates, Crain said. In vitro pregnancy rates soar far beyond those in early days of IVF, when most women had a 5 to 10 percent chance of conceiving through IVF. Today, the average is better than one in three.

“We will probably always face unresolved issues around embryo technology,” Crain said.

A media backgrounder that reviews recent developments and related issues is available at http://reachdrs.com/infertility-news.html.

About Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte (REACH)

REACH is led by a nationally recognized team of six physicians who offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art assistance for infertile couples and women with reproductive endocrine problems. REACH physicians, all long-time practitioners in Charlotte, are widely respected for their superior pregnancy success rates — among the highest in the region — and for the finest patient care. REACH is a member of the IntegraMed Fertility network. For additional information, visit http://www.reachdrs.com/.

Source: REACH