Welcome To My Blog

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Susan Barton

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Hello and welcome,

I’ve been a freelance writer for years, first while my three children were babies and throughout their childhood. I managed to raise my children as a single mom while running a couple of home-based businesses, most notably a daycare business and my writing business. I’m currently a contributing author to several article directories and websites and also have several business and individual clients I write for. If you I can write something (articles, SEO articles, web content, newsletter and ezine articles, etc.) for you please let me know by contacting me via email at lovesleftovers@yahoo.com. In the meantime please feel free to view just a few of my sample writings here and there. Please visit my business website to see how my associates and I can help you. Now, a few words about this blog :)

This is my own personal blog, filled with my own personal views on life, love and loss. Blogs, in general, began as online journals, diaries if you will and in some circumstances, have progressed to so much more. People use blogs now in many ways and for many reasons. Extensions of business websites, as ways to get in on the affiliate market craze, as a method to pass along information, and many other reasons. However, as stated above, this blog is my personal views. I tap in to a wide variety of information when writing my blog posts, but never mention individuals by name. If you recognize yourself in any of my posts then so be it. As I said, I don’t mention names so no one but you and I will know. My Dad says some pretty funny things so I’ve been known to steal some of his material from time to time :)

A note about comments. I appreciate comments, just like everyone else. But if it’s apparent your comments are filled with key words, makes no real sense, or are filled with your own self-serving links I’ll immediately mark it as spam. Comments should really have something to do with the post and it’s hysterically funny that some people seem to be making nonsensical comments for the sole purpose of pushing their products and/or services on my website. This is considered SPAM and only worthy of my trash bin.

Please note that I am in the process of moving my wordpress.com blog over to this new site, but if you’d like to read any of my wordpress.com posts I invite you read them here.

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Zappos Customer Passwords Compromised

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Susan Barton

I’ve purchased shoes from Zappos in the past and heard on the news about the recent security breach. I wanted to pass along the following email I received from Zappos so that past and present Zappos customers can take appropriate action. Here’s the email:

 

First, the bad news:

We are writing to let you know that there may have been illegal and unauthorized access to some of your customer account information on Zappos.com, including one or more of the following: your name, e-mail address, billing and shipping addresses, phone number, the last four digits of your credit card number (the standard information you find on receipts), and/or your cryptographically scrambled
password (but not your actual password).

THE BETTER NEWS:

The database that stores your critical credit card and other payment data was NOT affected or accessed.

SECURITY PRECAUTIONS:

For your protection and to prevent unauthorized access, we have expired and reset your password so you can create a new password. Please follow the instructions below to create a new password.

We also recommend that you change your password on any other web site where you use the same or a similar password. As always, please remember that Zappos.com will never ask you for personal or account information in an e-mail. Please exercise caution if you receive any emails or phone calls that ask for personal information or direct you to a web site where you are asked to provide personal information.

PLEASE CREATE A NEW PASSWORD:

We have expired and reset your password so you can create a new password. Please create a new password by visiting Zappos.com and
clicking on the “Create a New Password” link in the upper right corner of the web site and follow the steps from there.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any additional questions about this process, please email us at passwordchange@zappos.com.
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Bright Hub Closing Its Doors?

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Susan Barton

 

 

I recently received the email below and wanted to share it with anyone considering a “career” with BrightHub.com. As my previous article concerning my experience with Bright Hub explains, I was unceremoniously fired from Bright Hub after challenging the opinion of Ms. Thing Editor, Michelle McDonough, so I’m wondering why I even received this email. From the looks of this email it will now be necessary to write even longer articles for even less money. Good luck to anyone who’s desperate enough to slave away for these morons.

 

Dear Susan Barton:

Bright Hub has focused on providing value to our readers, our writers, and our advertisers since 2007. We have made adjustments along the way to remain competitive in a fast-changing environment, and currently, over 5 million visitors a month engage with the Bright Hub site. None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our writing and editing community.

The last few months have been particularly challenging. Like many companies we are facing the reality of a changed economy, while simultaneously working to increase visitors in a post-Panda world. This combination of market forces has required us to make some hard decisions about our business model moving forward, including the elimination of some internal staff positions as well as our ‘Shared Success’ writer program.

Therefore, our current writer and editor roles have ended, effective immediately, and your last payment for revenue-sharing will be on December 15. Any updates or editing of previously created content will be handled by internal staff.  And, if we should ever need to delete one of your articles, we will return the article and copyright to you via email, utilizing our current article notification system.

Does this mean we are closing our virtual doors? No. Bright Hub will continue to focus on our core content areas of Business, Technology and Education, and will be contracting on an ad hoc basis with a small group of writers and editors, who will work closely with our in-house editorial team. Fees for both writing assignments and editing work will be based on the length and depth of content coverage needed. In addition, content strategy consultants will be utilized in key areas. These will be professionals with their thumb directly on the pulse of the industries we cover. These strategists will work with our editorial team to ensure we are providing a rich reader-experience for our many website visitors.

If you would like to be considered for future contract work, please send a note to support@brighthub.com. This is also the email you should direct any questions or concerns to about the changes we have outlined here. Internally, Bright Hub is losing two key staff members, Kelly Walborn and Krista Cramer.  They were valuable members of our Bright Hub team and we wish them well in their new career opportunities.  In addition, both Kim Lloyd and Neil Henry are transitioning out of their current roles, but still remain at Bright Hub working on internal projects until sometime in January.  Tracy Sabattis will be assuming leadership of the editorial community, with support from Josh McWilliam and Carly Smith.

We understand that for many of you, the time will have come to part ways. Some of you have been with Bright Hub for a long time, and we are crushed to say goodbye to beloved members of the team, both internal and external. We are grateful and reflective of the success we had together. We thank you for all of your hard work, your commitment and your patience as we journeyed together throughout these tumultuous times, and wish you much future success.

Sincerely,

William Phelan

CEO

Bright Hub, Inc.

 

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The Two of Pentacles and the Juggler’s Lesson for Life

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Susan Barton

 

 

“The trick to juggling is determining which balls are made of rubber and which ones are made of glass.” ~ Anonymous

 

 

 

Once there was a man who made his living as a juggler in his tiny village. The local children gathered every afternoon to watch his performance. They cheered, clapped, threw down a few coins and asked for more. The juggler was happy to oblige and continued his juggling tricks long after sundown.  Although the juggler provided a great deal of joy to the village children, his bills were late, his children were hungry and his wife was very unhappy.

So the juggler set out for the neighboring villages to perform his juggling act. He worked long hours to build his juggling business and before long his skills became legendary and were in great demand. The juggler was happy to be able to send home large sums of money, until he received word that his crops were dying, his wife had fallen ill and the children missed him immensely. 

***********************************************************************************

Looking at the Two of Pentacles above we see a man concentrating on balancing two spheres. As one ball goes up, the other comes down and we’re left to wonder how long the process will go on before the juggler tires, gives up, or drops one or both globes. In the background are two ships at sea. They smoothly ride the waves of the ocean, or cruise the ups and downs of life.

Many of us feel as though we must be master jugglers, often struggling to find a happy medium between work, family and play. The process of constant multi-tasking can take a toll on our health and quality of life and relationships. The willingness to delegate some of our responsibilities to others is often a frightening proposition. We worry that no one else is capable of taking adequate care of our business, home or family.

The Two of Pentacles reminds us that maintaining balance in our lives is important. Flexibility is crucial, as we often see our lives going in one direction, but circumstances can force us to quickly change course. There’s a bit of childlike playfulness in the way this juggler performs his balancing act. Life often presents us with challenges, but if we see these  challenges as opportunities to grow, improve and advance it will ultimately benefit us and those around us.

We can help ourselves greatly when we decide which balls to balance, which to delegate and which to drop by assessing, organizing and prioritizing professional and personal responsibilities. Restructuring, delegating or even abandoning unproductive methods can make our daily lives run more smoothly.

Some questions to ask ourselves:

What responsibilities do you see yourself juggling?

What, if any, aspects of your professional and personal life are being sacrificed by your juggling/multi-tasking?

Which jobs, tasks and responsibilities would you classify as rubber (resilient and durable)? Which are glass (fragile and delicate)?

As a result of your juggling act, which problems do you see as the most damaging to you, your business or your family?

Which tasks do you feel most comfortable delegating to others?

Hectic, stressful lives can often get the better of many of us. Celebrating the progress made along the way will be our reward in the end.

 

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Making the Move from Articles to Videos

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Susan Barton

The Evil Panda Monster

 

Anyone who makes a “living” writing articles on the Web knows things have gotten pretty darn tough lately. Assignments are just about slim to none.

Demand Media Studios hit their writers with a sucker punch to the gut when they fired a whole slew of them, then began what they call a First Look Program and now consistently decline to release any assignments. Sure, you can call us freelancers, not worthy of a typical employee status, but pulling the proverbial rug right out from underneath your bread and butter is dirty and underhanded. After all, who’s making all the money and raising your stocks for you, DMS?

The Evil Panda Monster

So what happened? Some (or most) will blame it on the Panda Monster who gobbled up
(Googled up?) the so-called content farms and spit them out on their
low-quality behinds. Article sites like eHow, Suite101 and others were hit hard
and below the belt by the Google Panda. The problem is, not all freelance writers who write for these sites are hacks; sitting at computers in their underwear and informing the public one more time how to unclog a toilet with a plunger. Yes, that was one of mine, but in my defense I write what eHow asks me to write. I did write it while fully clothed, however.

DMS to Begin Relying on Video?

What’s a freelance writer to do? According to the rumors, DMS
is making a move towards video tutorials and away from the written word, but do
they honestly think people prefer to learn everything online via video? Some
subjects simply don’t transfer well into video. Some subjects are far too
involved to be condensed into a five-minute tutorial.

Test the Video-Making Waters

If  you’re a writer, you may be wondering if you need to run out and purchase video
equipment and editing software. I don’t think it hurts to diversify. You can easily try  your
hand at video tutorials. Most people have a camcorder or a camera with video
recording capabilities. There are some really nice, inexpensive HD video
recorders available. (I did a video review of the Flip UltraHD, which costs just $58.99 at Walmart.com.).  Movie Maker comes standard with most computers nowadays. Start a free blog on Blogger or WordPress (although if you chose Blogger  you can enable Adsense) and post some video tutorials to get a feel for it.

In this day and age of texting, YouTube, Instant Messaging, Facebook and Twitter, some people might think that reading actual articles online (or just about anywhere for that matter) is passé. I disagree, as do most other writers. It’ll be interesting to see how the eHow drama plays out over the next few weeks.

 

 

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Passive Voice – The Article Killer

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Susan Barton

Paradise was paved and a parking lot was
put up. The sheriff was shot by me. Sounds odd and awkward,
doesn’t it? How popular would Joni Mitchell’s, “Big Yellow Taxi” or Eric
Clapton’s, “I Shot the Sheriff” be if they had been written in the passive
voice? Chances are neither would have had much air play. Yet, many writers
continue to pepper their writing with clumsy and wordy sentences.

To Be or Not To Be

As in the examples above, the subjects are being acted upon. The boy was bit by the dog. The door was opened by the man. The experiments were conducted by scientists. Passive sentences typically use a verb phrase of the verb to be. Writers often drop the by in the
passive voice, which leaves the reader wondering who or what was performing the
action. Songs were sung and games were won, but who sang and won them?

Active Voice Gets to the Point Quickly

Active voice is about actors performing actions. The subject is performing the action.
It’s preferable to write in an active voice because that makes for more interesting content. Otherwise, readers won’t move past the first sentence.

This isn’t only true for fiction writing. Article writing needs to be
informative, concise and to the point.

It’s often necessary to stick to a specific word count when writing an article.
Writing in the active voice practically forces writers to conserve word usage.
Sentences written in active voice get to the point quickly, and are a better
way to get your message across to the reader. Reading an article written in
passive voice can sometimes make readers wonder if the writer was simply trying
to reach a word count goal.

Grab the Reader’s Attention and Keep It

While you may not necessarily want everything you write to sound clipped and to be as
cold as an instructional manual, you do want to present information in as few
words as possible. There are thousands of articles on the web competing for
views and most people don’t have time to wade through a wordy article.

Active Voice Is More Easily Understood

When you have something to say you want to be understood. A grammar study,
conducted in July 2010, showed that some people have a difficult time
understanding sentences written in passive voice. Writing content that is
easily understandable by the majority of readers means more views and exposure
for your writing.

Check Your Voice With Word

Many writers are unaware that they’re writing in passive voice. The simplest way to
be sure your writing is not suffering from passivity is to write a draft in Word and turn on the grammar & style settings from the proofing options menu. Word will automatically alert you when you’ve used passive voice. Word will not suggest alternatives.

Relying on grammar checkers has its limitations. Proofreading an article for typos as
well as passive voice is important. If you can say the same thing with fewer
words then do it. Use active verbs to make your writing more vivid and readers
more interested in what you have to say.

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All Around Irving, Texas Podcast

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Susan Barton
I decided to try my hand at podcasting. My first attempt is above.
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Home Fire Safety

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Susan Barton

Fires in the home kill almost 4000 people a year, but they could be easily prevented with fire-safe habits. Here are some tips to help prevent fires in your home.

Kitchen

  • Never leave food cooking on the stove unsupervised.
  • If you must leave and no one else can watch it, turn off the burner.
  • Keep the area around the stove clear of spills and flammable materials like towels and potholders.
  • Turn pot handles in so that they aren’t accidentally bumped.
  • In case of a grease fire, smother it with a pot lid or baking soda; NEVER douse it with water as this will make the fire worse.

 

Electrical Sources

  • Replace any loose or frayed electrical cords, as these can emit dangerous sparks
  • Never run extension cords under carpets or around doorways.
  • Use a power strip instead of a two- or three-way plug, but don’t overload it with cords for high-power appliances.
  • Make sure lamps and night lights are away from curtains, bedding, and other flammable material.

 

Fireplace

  •  Keep fireplaces covered with a metal or glass screen to keep sparks from flying out.
  • Only burn wood in the fireplace – paper ashes can easily fly out.
  • Have your chimney inspected and cleaned regularly.
  • Make sure the fire is completely extinguished before you close the damper or go to sleep.

 

Space Heaters

  •  Keep space heaters at least 3 feet from any flammable material such as curtains, newspaper, or bedding.
  • Never put a space heater somewhere where a child or pet could knock it over.
  • Don’t use an extension cord with a space heater, as the high current could melt the cord.

 

Smoking

  •  The best way to keep a home safe from cigarettes is to smoke outside.
  • If you smoke inside, do so away from flammable materials like bedding and upholstery.
  • Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished before throwing them away.

 

Candles

  •  Never leave a candle unattended or in a place where children or pets could play with it.
  • Make sure candles are away from flammable materials and placed in sturdy, non-flammable holders.

 

Smoke Alarms/Fire Extinguishers

  •  Make sure there are smoke alarms installed on every floor of your home, especially near bedrooms.
  • Consider installing a fire extinguisher in a strategic place in your home, such as near the kitchen. Make sure you and your family members know how to use it.
  • Check smoke alarm batteries each year and have fire extinguishers regularly checked.

**This guest post article was written by Sally Davison. Ms. Davison owns the website, Fire Science Degree. Sally is an experienced EMT and writes a variety of articles about health and safety.

 

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Rag Rug Tutorial

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Susan Barton

 

 

Don’t throw away those old, yucky sheets. I made a really nice, soft rag rug out of king size sheets. These sheets didn’t wear very well. They weren’t old, just poor quality. Here’s the rag rug tutorial video that shows you how it’s done.

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Free Flu Shots for Employees

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Susan Barton

Flu Shot Season is Almost Here

Flu season typically begins in October, and employers are bracing themselves for the upcoming flu season. Flu-related employee absence costs companies millions of dollars every year. Companies can greatly reduce these costs by being proactive and offering free flu shots to employees.

Flu season is just around the corner and many people are considering getting flu shots; and with good reason. Most people want to avoid the fever, aches, chills and chest pain that accompany the flu. Profit loss, due to absenteeism, is a valid concern for large and small companies.

Influenza Costs Companies Millions

According to the CDC, “Every year influenza, or flu, affects employers and businesses. Influenza costs businesses approximately $10.5 billion in direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults.” Low cost and free employee flu shot clinics are becoming the preferred method of ensuring the health and safety of company staff.

Education and Prevention is the First Defense

Many health service companies, across the country, assist human resource managers in setting up on-site flu clinics. Most of these companies also provide educational services to employees by implementing corporate wellness plans to help reduce health risks.

It’s important to recognize that education is the first step in combating the flu. Many people are not aware they have unhealthy habits that leave them vulnerable to certain infections and disease. The flu is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is spread through coughing and sneezing. The risk of getting the flu can be greatly reduced by frequent hand washing, and covering mouths while sneezing and coughing. Health service companies supply businesses with a variety of educational pamphlets and brochures, that include these and other flu preventative methods, for distribution to employees.

Scheduling an On-Site Flu Clinic for Employees

Companies that employee at least 30 employees can set up on-site flu clinics through most health service companies. But, the more people you have, the more cost effective it is for your company. Small companies can team up with other local companies in order to increase numbers. Large corporations with multiple locations can usually be accommodated with a central location.

Ensuring a Successful On-Site Flu Clinic

Make clinics more appealing to employees by incorporating other health-related services at the same time. A full-scale health fair usually attracts more participants. Consider offering blood pressure checks and cholesterol testing along with flu shots.

Ensure a successful turnout by following some effective techniques. Free shots will almost always be best. Encourage employees to attend flu shot clinics by setting a positive example. Managers and supervisors should be the first to get flu shots. Consider offering flu shots to employee family members. Allow employees to visit on-site flu clinics as part of the work day as opposed to requiring employees to receive shots only while off the clock. Refreshments can be served. Hold contests to award departments with the most vaccinated employees.

Partnering With Other Local Businesses

Smaller companies, with less than 30 employees, should consider partnering with local pharmacies and health clinics. Putting a policy in place that permits employees an hour or two to receive vaccines in the community encourages participation. Place flu clinic notices, flyers and posters in break rooms, above time clocks and other common areas to let employees know where and when clinics will be held. Be sure to include the information in employee newsletters and company websites. Provide pamphlets and brochures for employees to take home to family members.

The CDC’s Flu Clinic Toolkit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a wealth of flu prevention information for businesses on their website. An entire toolkit, titled “Make It Your Business to Fight the Flu: A Toolkit for Businesses and Employers, is available for download straight from the CDC website. The kit provides a Podcast, printable flyers, checklist and a list of valuable links for businesses to find more information.

Free Flu Shots Are Cost Effective

It’s always preferable to offer employees free flu shots. Employees are more likely to get the shot if there is no out of pocket cost to them. The cost of providing free vaccines to employees greatly outweighs the cost incurred due to employee sick leave and lost production time.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is a grant program that assists small businesses to offer workplace wellness programs. Awarded grants began in 2011 with $200 million appropriated for a five-year period. The PPACA is an excellent way for small businesses to establish an affordable workplace wellness plan. Interested employers should submit applications to the Health and Human Service secretary.

Free Flu Shots Are Good For Business

Employers who offer free flu shots to their employees encourage a sense of involvement and well-being among staff. Employees who feel valued by managers and supervisors are more likely to be more productive. Offering a free wellness planning program that includes free flu vaccines to employees can help increase employee morale and productivity.


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Buying an REO Home

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Susan Barton

Inspecting an REO home.

The state of the current economy has left many banks with no choice but to foreclose on many home loans.

Despite what people may think, banks aren’t in business to repossess homes.

The longer a bank-owned, or REO (Real Estate Owned) home,  sits empty, the longer it remains a loss for the lender. It’s in a bank’s best interest to sell foreclosed homes in order to recover the unpaid loan amount. This makes REO homes a financial bargain for real estate investors and home buyers. Potential buyers need to some research, but the effort can pay off.

Purchasing an REO at auction

When a bank or other financial institution forecloses on a home they’ll often attempt to sell the home at auction.  Auctions usually attract home “flippers” and seasoned real estate investors. There are many online websites listing upcoming property auctions where potential home buyers can search for local auctions. However, many of these sites charge a fee. Buyers can contact their local county tax department for free information on dates, times and properties in their area.

Auctions are often considered a risky method of purchasing an REO home. Some risks include:

  • A home inspection cannot be conducted on the home. Bidders have no way of knowing if it needs any costly repairs.
  • Winning bidders must pay cash on the spot. Financing is not an option.
  • Buyers cannot purchase title insurance. Winning bidders are responsible for any liens, second mortgages and back taxes on the property.
  • It becomes the winning bidders responsibility to evict any tenants or residents.
  • Over bidding and purchasing a home for more than it’s worth.
  • All sales are final.

Approaching a bank directly

Sometimes an auction is unsuccessful because either there were no bidders or bids were too low to cover any outstanding loans. The bank then takes possession of the home and the title is cleared. The bank makes any necessary repairs on the home and property. Banks realize this generates greater interest in the home. This, of course, is a great financial benefit to potential buyers and poses practically no risk to the home buyer. Potential buyers can:

  • Have the home inspected before making an offer.
  • Obtain financing directly through the bank
  • Be assured there are no liens against the home. (This saves time and money on having to do a title search)
  • Avoid having to evict any current residents.

Prospective home buyers should consider approaching local banks directly to ask about their REO home programs and listings. Banks are usually more than happy to give information about foreclosed homes and can provide a lot of helpful information to consumers.

Besides approaching banks directly you can do an internet search. There are many online databases where consumers can search for REO homes. Purchasing an REO home from the lender is convenient because the can assist you with financing.


Compare home prices

When you’ve located a foreclosed home and wish to make an offer you should do some preliminary work first. Compare the asking price of the home with other homes in the area to be sure asking price is reasonable. Check with the local county  tax office to get an idea of the average area home values. You can also go online to check average home listing prices.

Getting the REO inspected

A home inspection should always be conducted on a home before making an offer. The condition of a home can greatly influence a home’s value. Be sure to choose a licensed home inspector if your state requires it. At the very least, you should hire an inspector who is accredited through a professional organization, such as NACHI, ASHI, or NIBI. A qualified home inspector will evaluate the home’s condition and identify items that require replacement or repair. He will also estimate the life of the heating and cooling system, plumbing and electrical wiring.

Home inspectors do not appraise houses. Before making an offer it’s wise to have the home appraised. The cost to hire a professional appraiser depends on the size of the home, the location and the type of structure. Generally, a home appraisal should cost between $200 and $250 for an average-sized home, but can vary by location. This is money well spent, since you want to avoid overpaying for a foreclosed home.

Consulting a Realtor

Purchasing an REO home can be a complex, involved process that usually requires more paperwork than is necessary when purchasing through a traditional sale. Working with a real estate agent, experienced in REO home sales, can save the average home buyer a great deal of time, effort and money.

 

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