Featured Post
Posted by Lizzie on Sep-5-2008
There’s a lot of talk about women’s issues this election cycle. Thanks to Hillary Clinton, and now Sarah Palin, we’re back in the spotlight. In that vein, Congress is pressing for a revote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which failed to pass previously. McCain has come out again it:
“I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what’s being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems,” the expected GOP presidential nominee told reporters. “This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system.”
I’ve recently engaged in a half-hearted IT job search - in anticipation of my eventual graduation from the Tech program. There seems to be a little available, but I’ve heard that women are not treated favorably in the IT industry. It would please me, and thousands of other women, tremendously if this actually became law. Would I know that my male counterparts were making more than me? Probably not. But this act would give me recourse should I find out about a pay discrepancy after the fact. As a woman hoping to work in a male-dominated field, I would feel just a little better knowing I had a safety net.
There was some talk that this law isn’t necessary. I beg to differ. I worked with a company (unrelated to the tech field) that cut me a mystery check. When I inquired to what the purpose of the check was, I was told that it was to make up for a pay difference between me and my male counterparts. I had no idea that the men were making that much more per hour than I was, but there was a lawsuit and the settlement agreement was that this company would pay the hourly difference to each female for whatever period of time they agreed to (I think it was 3 months, even though I’d been there for over a year at that point). I left that company not long afterward, but my eyes had been opened. The reasoning for the lower pay was that women are mothers and so are prone to miss work because of their sick children. Men, on the other hand, are more reliable and should be rewarded. Really?
At a time when a major political party has nominated a self-proclaimed “hockey mom” to be vice president, there should be no more “she should get less because she’s a mom”. This woman is seeking a job while parenting 5 children (and potentially helping parent a grandchild) so the reason listed above would apply to her and her pay should be cut significantly. Right? No. Wrong. Her husband will be able to tend to the children while she runs for office and he can tend to the children while she continues to govern Alaska (except that he’s got a full-time job plus an extra job on the side in the summer, but that’s not this issue). It’s only fair that the rest of American women enjoy the same equality in pay as the women who govern them.
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Mar
16
Posted by Lizzie under
family,
health&wellness,
sinful pleasures
Yesterday I did something major. I chopped my hair off. It was down past my shoulders and is now just below my ears. Honestly, my whole neck feels different. Of course, my hair is naturally curly (not kinky curly, but fat, loose curls) and as soon as I washed it it poofed right out. Now it looks like I got a cut and a perm. Pee Wee’s going to school me on how to use a flat iron so I can keep the look I was going for.
My hair prior to the cutting.
My hair right after the cut. The stylist used a flat iron on me.
After that, I decided to color it. I’m sick of looking at the grays and thought why not go all the way? I’m literally thinking of reinventing my whole look. At any rate, we got one of those kits that has a highlight kit included with the regular dye. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the kind of highlights I wanted. That’s fine. It’ll grow out in a week anyway and then I’ll have to get more color to hide the roots. Do I even have that much energy?
My hair after the color and wash. No flat iron here.
Now it’s time to lose some weight. I have a lot of weight to lose actually and it’s going to be a long process. I thought about getting some weight loss pills to jump start my regimen. My sister used them for a little while just before she started going to the gym religiously. She lost 15 pounds right away and then stopped using them. She kept off that weight and loss a few more pounds. I can’t go to the gym, of course, but I’ve got a new Yoga DVD and a dancercise one, so…
I did try the dancercise one and Pee Wee caught me jumping around. She had a hearty good laugh at seeing that. Unfortunately, that made me more than a little self-conscious so I won’t do it when she’s home anymore (or at least when she’s awake…lol). Too bad for her she’s eating enough for three or four (as opposed to “eating for two”) because I can laugh and call her “Rolly Polly”. Hey, it’s her fault for laughing at her ol’ mother trying to get in shape.
I promised in the previous post that I was going to get pictures of the flood, but I didn’t get up there. We were busy doing other things. Like getting my hair cut. We also went and bought Pee Wee’s birthday present - a brand new mattress set. She’s still sleeping on a sorry twin and I figured it’s time to get her something bigger- a full. I know, not much bigger. But it’s all we could afford, and really, it’s all that will fit in her room. I think she’ll love it, though, because it’s got a pillow top and is sooo comfy. The saleslady suggested that Grump and I buy one for ourselves and give Pee Wee ours. I almost took her up on that. Almost. Ours sucks though, so it wouldn’t have been right.
Next year, we’re getting a new one. For sure.
And how was your Saturday?
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Mar
15
Posted by Lizzie under
sinful pleasures
Lawn and Garden season is in full effect in our town. Down at the mall there are a few dozen trade show displays showcasing landscaping companies, nurseries, and all kinds of home improvement companies. I love it when that show comes down there. This year I’m going to be checking out all of the landscaping companies because our yard is in serious need of some TLC.
Since I’ve been ill I haven’t been able to get out to do any gardening and my flower beds are in sorry shape. I had Grump layer them in fallen leaves over the winter, so that they can at least get some nutrients. The bulbs are starting to come up through some of the more robust patches of Earth and I love that. I’m just afraid to get out there and do the hard work of getting them cleaned out. Last summer, I’d go out and start the weeding, then be laid up for days. I was afraid to go out in the full sun because I always ended up with this nasty rash on my face. Of course, I’m sensitive enough to care when someone says “Lizzie, you should really get that looked at.” Um, I have, thanks. So, I hid out in the house a lot.
Since I’ve been on the Vitamin D my physical and mental health has improved immensely. Of course, now I’m wondering if the real cause of that is being inside so much this winter. The information that I’ve read says that I should feel worse in the winter, so I have a glimmer of hope. But I’m still too afraid of getting out there and doing all that work (we have a half acre yard, so it’s not easy getting those flower beds in order…lol). That means I’m willing to pay someone $75 to do it for me. As long as they don’t dig up my bulbs it should go pretty well.
I’m also thinking of selling my bamboo. You’d be surprised at the number of people that actually come out and dig it up for you. Mine is still small enough that it wouldn’t be difficult. And I’ve kept the runners to a bare minimum. I have a Phyllostachys aurea plant and it doesn’t grow so tall in my area. It’s gorgeous and I might be able to get a decent price for it.
Also, one of our neighboring towns is getting flooded. I’m going to see about going to get some pictures. What used to be a golf course now looks like a lake (as seen from the highway). I looked on our local newspaper’s website, but it doesn’t look like it made the news this year. Well, it certainly seems important to the people that live there. I’ll see if I can get anything.
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Mar
13
Posted by Lizzie under
work from home,
writing,
writing gigs
The last few months I’ve been getting deeper and deeper into SEO and blogging for dollars (to put it lightly). I’ve joined some forums, read a lot of posts and used a couple of different services. I don’t think I did as well as some, but not as poorly as others. I like what I’m doing currently, but it’s not making me rich (though I have paid a couple of bills this month- thanks). But the drama sucked me in.
After Google penalized bloggers for doing paid posts, there was much teeth gnashing and hair pulling. Then bloggers started turning on each other. One company assures it’s contractors that they are going to eliminate Google’s algorithm from their segmentation. This has many of the more vocal supporters of said company dancing happily while waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Anyway, it’s a mess and I don’t even know why I care. That’s the problem.
So, I went back into my bag of tricks and found a couple of more things that work for me. One of them is Brijit. For Brijit, you pick from the available articles and write a 60-100 word synopsis (abstract) of the article. They have 3 slots, but only pick one article. So, it’s kind of a competition, the best one written gets published and you get $5. After publication, the Brijit staff then cleans (edits) it up to make it more palatable for the site . The more abstracts you write, the more likely you are to get published. And if you look at the articles/videos that are due the soonest, find one with 3 open slots, you’re more likely to get chosen. It’s not guaranteed, but if you’re a good writer then you can make some money at it.
As an example, here is one I did today (it was published today):
I Don’t Believe in Atheists - ![]()
Wilder talks to Chris Hedges about his new book, I Don’t Believe in Atheists, and his ongoing debates with New Atheists such as Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. Hedges candidly explains why he believes that New Atheists are just as bad as Christian fundamentalists; both groups are full of hate and bigotry. As for the blow-by-blow, he calls Harris “intellectually shallow” and Hitchens “amoral.” Hedges’ insight is in-depth and revealing, and Wilder does an excellent job of drawing out his ire.
in Salon by Charly Wilder, 13 March 2008
This abstract was edited by Brijit. Read more here…
I use this as an example of other supplemental income. I recently saw a post by a young lady lamenting her loss of PageRank and how this could potentially threaten her health. She mentioned different companies that pay for PageRank and that Google has effectively taken away her livelihood. I thought that was way off the mark, simply because Google never agreed to pay her anything and it was the companies that contracted her that hurt her by depending on PR. Someone mentioned that fact in the comments and I almost asked if she did anything like Brijit.
If you’re burnt out on the SEO thing and not making enough off of your blog (or are writing for literally a dozen blogs) then you might consider something a little different. Even as a supplemental. Brijit is just one example. For other resources, the WAHM.com message boards are full of information. It’s more than just “not putting all your eggs in one basket” at this point.
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