Ever Thought Of Blogging As A Career?

Making a living is everyone’s preoccupation every. single. day. You need money to live. You starve if you don’t have money. There are so many things at stake from your profession or simply put it, having a job. Traditional jobs include stellar careers in law, medicine, governance, and education among others. Education is also a big factor to help you land the job of your dreams. Unfortunately, education isn’t cheap. It’s why so many people tend to give it up early in life and choose to work on menial jobs instead with equally degrading salaries.

Fortunately, there are lots of new opportunities now with the advent of modern computing technologies. Many unconventional careers have surfaced now that the technology that lets them thrive has become a reality. With the advent of the Internet and social media, blogging has been elevated from a hobby to a promising career. Bloggers get paid more than traditional careers these days and there are a lot of perks too. From freebies to sponsorships, you can have it all if you have the flair for writing captivating blogs.

For many bloggers, writing is a personal passion. Every successful blogger who has gone on to build a real business started for the same reasons you most likely started yours — because they genuinely enjoy sharing their style with friends and fashion enthusiasts, and they would do it with or without financial reward. Monetizing your blog takes time, but the rewards can be great for those who are patient and willing to build something genuine. We’ve pulled together a number of tips to help you turn your own blog from a passion into a paycheck.

Part I: Build Your Foundation

Before you can think seriously about monetizing your blog, you need to lay the right groundwork. Keep these things in mind before getting started:

Be Authentic

It turns out that the passion you have for your blog is also what will make you successful when it comes to monetizing it. Even internet moguls like fashion influencers Chiara Ferragni and Aimee Song — bloggers who have turned their Blogspot accounts into commercial empires — started by simply posting looks they personally loved. This is important to remember as you work toward monetizing your own blog, because authenticity is often the first casualty when bloggers start thinking of their blogs as businesses. The most essential piece of advice we can give you is to stay true to your personal passions and what your followers love to see. If your posts start looking like advertisements or rote business advice, your audience may not trust you — and are likely to disengage.

(Via: http://www.business2community.com/blogging/monetize-personal-blog-01840558#ErvkCoAW6bVjQCKi.97)

Blogging shouldn’t be looked down during this digital age. It is one of the most lucrative careers you can find for yourself if your writing and creativity is up to par. You must write engaging contents regularly that may or may not be full of amazing visuals and may be interactive too.

Yesterday she was exploring Tokyo. Today she has touched down in Southern California to design a travel-inspired office space. Tonight she is catching a flight to Iceland, where she will spend two weeks shooting videos and photos “just for fun, to reinspire content.”

Sounds like such a glamorous life and probably the envy of many in a lot of ways. It does not have to be written blogs all the time, though, since there are vloggers who make interesting videos on various niches such as makeup makeovers, toy unboxing, and cooking etc.

These sites — a blend of a personal journal and marketing platform — have proliferated in recent years. Their typical narrative seems ripe for a romantic comedy: A 20-something woman who was unhappy in her conventional career quits to travel the world alone. But as audiences demand video, Instagram posts, Snaps and other media beyond the words and few images that used to be the stock and trade of travel blogging, many bloggers are finding that their depiction of a glamorous, jet-setting life is at odds with their daily routine. They have staffs, manage payroll and can work 18-hour days.

(Via: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/travel/that-solo-travel-blogs-vacation.html)

Imagine being able to travel the world for free just because you have a blog. Wow! Who doesn’t love the new-age, right? There are countless opportunities for everyone who is gutsy enough and dares to dream big. These travel bloggers, for instance, are the stuff where dreams are made of. Be a jet setter like most royalties and celebrities are without shelling out even a single dime and still get paid a huge amount in return. The best thing about it is that you can blog about everything under the sun. The possibilities are endless. Do you think you have what it takes to become a pro blogger too?

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Why Politics And Corruption Goes Hand In Hand

“With great power comes great responsibility,” said Spidey. His character may be fictional, but boy he got this one right. You can never fully comprehend how power can get you blinded and mess up your perspectives in life until you are the one in power yourself. Most of the time, these are politicians elected into office by the public through the election process. These political leaders are supposed to protect the people, uphold the common good and manage the affairs of the state in an orderly and fair manner. If only that is always the case.

It is a sad thing to realize that the leaders who you thought will protect your rights and do their job right have other things in mind. Graft and corruption cases are increasingly becoming common because these elected leaders get blinded by the greed for money and power. Only a handful of the elected leaders today really have the best interests of their constituents at heart. Most of them only want to fatten their wallets and bank accounts while still in office.

Among the individuals named in a federal indictment this week was one who has touched almost every corner of Arizona power politics: lobbyist Jim Norton.

A familiar figure for years at the state Capitol, Norton was among Gov. Doug Ducey’s earliest political backers and a friend since college. His firm helped guide U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs to victory last November. He’s also the business community’s leading voice at the state Capitol.

And, according to federal prosecutors, Norton was "a conduit" for bribes that water-company owner George Johnson is accused of paying to former Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Gary Pierce. Authorities allege the money helped secure commission approval of higher rates for Johnson Utilities in the East Valley and Pinal County.

Norton, along with Johnson, Pierce, and Pierce's wife, Sherry, were named in the eight-count indictment, as well as "an unindicted co-conspirator."

In lobbying, reputation and credibility are vital. And the reaction in political circles to the indictment has been a mix of shock, disbelief and, in some cases, silence.

(Via: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2017/05/27/lobbyist-jim-norton-federal-indictment/350520001/)

These corrupt leaders often weave a web of lies to cover their tracks. However, no matter how good they make up stories or hide documents and cut paper trails, they may still likely be caught because their greed will push them to be more brazen in their exploits, making them miss out on even the smallest of details that can be the reason for their undoing.

Politicians caught up in a sweeping three-year graft investigation are unlikely to return to their positions of power, former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso said in an interview.

Cardoso included Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the front-runner in early polls for next year's presidential elections despite facing five corruption trials, as among those whose political careers have likely been destroyed by the kickbacks probe.

"It is unlikely that the people touched by the corruption scandal will return to the leadership they once had," said Cardoso, a founder of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), which backs the current center-right government.

Cardoso, himself facing accusations in the investigation, also said the profound cultural and constitutional changes now needed to truly clean up Brazil's system will take time.

Brazil's biggest graft investigation, known as "Operation Car Wash," has turned up evidence of corrupt practices as recently as June, suggesting political kickbacks at state companies carried on despite the detention of scores of powerful businessmen and politicians.

(Via: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-politics-cardoso-idUSKBN181243)

It is hard to totally wipe out political corruption in any organization. Someone will always be tempted to use their authority and power for their own personal gain. There is a long list of corruption cases. Some may be just a simple bribery while others can be a wide-scale embezzlement scam, yet the damage to the organization is just as awful.

Any organization or office with corruption cases will always be tainted in the eyes of the people especially that these graft cases may or may not be directly related to more criminal cases. Now you know why politics and graft and corruption often go hand in hand. It’s all about money and power. These two factors are common in politics. So, make sure you vote wisely every election to avoid putting corrupt people into public office.

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More Terror Attacks In Europe

It was supposed to be a fun night full of music and adoration for a celebrity you have always dreamed of seeing in person, for real. The music is good and the venue is jam-packed. The show has ended and everyone is readying to leave when BANG, a loud explosion fills the place. Then, panic sets in and everyone else scrambles to leave. Sounds like a movie plot, but no, it’s real life.

Terrorists strike in strategic places to capture the attention of the world. They thrive on people’s fear and anger and will likely strike back once the public’s attention has shifted to more trivial things, and away from important societal rights. Over the past decade, we have witnessed increased terrorist activity all over the globe. Despite the focus of many groups, including the European Rail Congress, these terrorists thrive when they are in the spotlight. And once we panic, it means that they have achieved their purpose.

The reactions by Western leaders and media to the latest Islamic terror attack essentially "signal in the strongest way possible to organizations such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hezbollah and Hamas, that with every devastating attack, the West is ripe for the taking." So writes lawyer and political analyst Judith Bergman for the Gatestone Institute.

Among the political reactions to the attack at a rock concert in Manchester, in which 22 young people were killed and 59 wounded, the vast majority of them did not mention the fact that it was perpetrated by a Muslim. Most were along the lines of the response by President of the European Council Donald Tusk, who tweeted, "My heart is in Manchester this night. Our thoughts are with the victims" and that of British Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who called it a "tragic incident."

(Via: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/230133)

Who would’ve thought that a happy gathering of fans in Manchester will turn out to be a massacre the world will forever remember. Lives were lost and many more injured from the bombing attack. Although it is not yet officially ruled out as a terrorist attack, it is a big possibility as the attack’s motive. For many of Ariana Grande’s fans especially the ones who lost their lives that night, it was indeed the “one last time” they will ever see their idol or the light of day.

Speaking in the Polish Parliament on Wednesday, Beata Szydło seized the moment to launch an excoriating attack on European Union leaders following the Manchester attack which, among others, claimed the lives of a Polish couple, leaving their two daughters as orphans.

“We are not going to take part in the madness of the Brussels elite,” she railed. “We want to help people, not the political elites.

“Where are you headed Europe?” she demanded. “Rise from your knees and from your lethargy or you will be crying over your children every day.

“If you can’t see this – if you can’t see that terrorism currently has the potential to hurt every country in Europe, and you think that Poland should not defend itself, you are going hand in hand with those who point this weapon against Europe, against all of us.

“It needs to be said clearly and directly: This is an attack on Europe, on our culture, on our traditions.”

(Via: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/26/polish-pm-eviscerates-european-elite-attack-european-culture/)

Many European countries have banded together and shown their support for Manchester and all the victims of this violent yet senseless crime. Many are scared while others are outraged. Yet the Polish Prime Minister said something sensible that all of Europe, or even the world, should think about. There will be no end to these terrorist attacks if we always cower in fear at the thought of them hurting us or any of our loved ones. We need to acknowledge that such an attack is an attack against all of humanity and we must fight back or forever be threatened by these heartless terrorists. Until we all unite and do just that, any nation will remain vulnerable to these terrorist attacks for who knows how long.

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Terror On The Web

The Internet is a delight to many. There are just so many things to do on the web that it rendered the word “boredom” obsolete. Tell me can you ever feel bored surfing the web, browsing through social media, or uncovering all the things you can do online. Probably not. With 24/7 access to the web, you can stay up all-day and all-night without ever running out of things to do.

Millions, or even billions, of people, go online daily, not only individuals but even big corporations and the government too. And as such, the potential is likewise limitless for cyber criminals who want nothing but to sow fear and confusion in the hearts and minds of online users while at the same time making money from their digital crimes. The web is indeed not a safe place at all both for the young and old alike.

The ransomware that had just found its way onto Gren’s desktop was simultaneously installing itself onto tens of thousands of other Windows computers across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. About 30 minutes after Gren’s screen had gone black, the National Health Service in the U.K. announced that computers in 16 of its health facilities had been infected. Doctors were unable to access patient records and emergency rooms were forced to turn people away.

Soon, it was 33 facilities. Then there was a telecommunications company in Spain, a cell phone carrier in Russia, and the French automaker Renault. Anyone using certain versions of Windows that hadn’t been updated within the last month was vulnerable. Within hours, it was being called the most successful ransomware attack of all time.

As reports of new infections in dozens of countries surfaced, and it seemed the outbreak could become an all-out epidemic, a 22-year-old security researcher in the UK made a quick decision. The researcher, who goes by the pseudonym MalwareTech, had gotten a copy of the ransomware program from a friend, and ran it in a test environment on his computer. He noticed the program was trying but failing to reach a web address, a long string of random letters with a dot-com extension.

(Via: https://qz.com/985093/inside-the-digital-heist-that-terrorized-the-world-and-made-less-than-100k/)

The word ransomware is all over the news now. It’s a type of malware that locks a user’s PC and keep their data hostage until the victim pays for the ransom, often in bitcoins. Unfortunately, there is no assurance that the crooks will give you your data back after paying the ransom, so victims are highly discouraged from paying.

Latest evidence suggests "phishing" emails are unlikely to have caused the global cyber attack that wreaked havoc at dozens of NHS trusts and hit hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries. 

Security experts have disputed claims that the virus was spread through suspicious emails, saying that computers were vulnerable to the bug regardless of how vigilant users were. Experts said that unless IT departments patched the virus and backed up their files they could be hit by the attacks. 

Affected NHS trusts were criticised for not adding the patch despite warnings from NHS Digital a month ago that they were vulnerable to a possible attack. 

(Via: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/15/nhs-cyber-attack-latest-authorities-warn-day-chaos-ransomware/)

The terror this recent ransomware attack has created may have been widespread but the money the hackers got was a measly amount despite the extent of damage it has caused. Government officials should take this new cyber threat seriously because of the inconvenience it causes every time hackers make an attack. People’s lives are put on hold and their computers at risk as the government and the companies involved try to find the solution. It may take just a few hours or longer for some, so everything is put on limbo for the time being.

The thing is, they may be able to slow down the malware’s progress but it still is here, a constant threat to vulnerable systems with equally vulnerable owners who won’t hesitate to shell out the bitcoin ransom money just to put an end to their misery.

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Platonic Parents On The Rise

Back then, divorce was a taboo. Families rarely talked about marital disputes that ended marriages and left children broken too. Fast-forward today, divorce is quite common and people are no longer embarrassed to admit to the world that they made a mistake and their marriage is over. For many of these bickering couples, it is better to be lonesome and single once more than being trapped in a loveless and toxic relationship. It’s bad for the kids too to see their parents quarrel all the time. If you failed to see it from that angle.

If there is anything good that comes out of this situation, it’s of mothers and fathers banding together for the sake of their kids. The term “platonic parents” became a thing and in a way, children still have both their parents to love and care for them minus the negative energy that always follows before when they were still constantly fighting one another.

There are many ways to have a happy, healthy family that fall outside of the traditional nuclear family unit. Today’s diverse social climate and advanced technology have expanded the definition of family, reminding us that family is a matter of love, connection and care—rather than simply blood and marriage. Children need parents who are committed to loving and supporting them, and that love and support are found in a variety of family structures.

That’s why many people who have split from their partners consider platonic parenting (also popularly known as co-parenting). Platonic parenting occurs when two or more people decide to raise children together, even in the absence of a romantic connection.

Families with platonic parents can take a variety of forms and living situations. 

(Via: https://goodmenproject.com/families/platonic-parenting-could-it-work-for-you-bbab/)

Divorce is often the reason why ex-couples become co-parent. However, couples who haven’t tied the knot and separated from each other for a lot of reason can also become platonic parents. Even if these couples did not break up on good terms, they usually set their differences aside and try to work things out as parents of the kids they have once created outside the marital bliss.

Co-parenting is a term most often applied to couples who have kids and continue to parent amicably, post-breakup. But another definition of co-parenting makes romance obsolete from the start. Also known as "platonic parenting," this arrangement involves two or more people who join forces for the sole reason of having and raising a child. 

This can include a gay couple and a woman who joins them in a threesome of parenting. Or two friends who become parents together. The possible makeups of co-parenting relationships are endless, and they're contributing to a growing number of representations of what family can look like.

(Via: http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/love-sex/relationships/why-couples-are-turning-to-platonic-parenting-7895806)

Co-parenting breaks out of conventional ideas such as a man and women (heterosexual) relationship. Gay couples can be platonic parents too. In a sense, they aren’t really what you’d normally call as normal parents but they can become great parents too, to orphans or neglected children who are craving for the love and attention only a parent can give.

Co-parenting is a term most often applied to couples who have kids and continue to parent amicably, post-breakup. But another definition of co-parenting makes romance obsolete from the start. Also known as “platonic parenting,” this arrangement involves two or more people who join forces for the sole reason of having and raising a child. This can include a gay couple and a woman who joins them in a threesome of parenting. Or two friends who become parents together. The possible makeups of co-parenting relationships are endless, and they’re contributing to a growing number of representations of what family can look like.

(Via: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/02/21/its-not-about-romance-these-singles-want-a-parenting-partner-not-a-life-partner/?utm_term=.70b1bb0bfcdd)

Life does not end when relationships do especially when there are children in the equation. They still need parents to look after them, so they still have a positive view of life. It may be a sad thing for parents to break up and move on but it is quite inspiring to see them take the challenge of acting like the mature individuals that they are and co-parent in peace.

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On Budget Cuts And Student Rights

Students have rights too. Even if they aren’t actively contributing to the country’s economy just yet, they have a right to a good education provided by the state, if possible. After all, the youth is the future of any nation. To make sure they are well-equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitude they need to succeed in life and make good life choices, later on, a good education is crucial and can make or break their ultimate fate.

While students have inherent rights that are upheld by the constitution, schools and various educational institutions implement their own sets of policies that may or many not always align with a student’s rights. There are likewise instances when government officials subtly try to curtail these rights that they deem aren’t in the best interest of the nation. It’s a complicated topic, indeed, and has not only sparked countless debates but ongoing protest as well.

Democrats sparred with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos about the budget proposal from President Donald Trump that would direct $1.4 billion to expand school choice and sharply questioning her commitment to protecting students with federal vouchers from discrimination during a House subcommittee hearing Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Republicans questioned the education secretary more gently, focusing on special education and applauding the fiscal 2018 budget plan's emphasis on new resources for school choice. 

Democratic lawmakers pushed DeVos to explain why public schools wouldn't suffer and lose out because of a proposed $1 billion in new Title I for public school choice, as well as $250 million for a new research program to study the impact of vouchers on needy students.

"Quite frankly, this puts us on the path to privatization of public education," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the committee's top Democrat, in her opening statement.  

(Via: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2017/05/betsy_devos_trump_budget_testimony_house_spending_committee.html)

The issue is often muddled with concerns over schools and school systems when the focus should the students’ welfare and the education they are getting. The priority should be providing quality and world-class education for every American student in the land but politicians end up politicizing the entire matter, which makes thing really messy in the end.

Student press advocates on Wednesday criticized Gov. Doug Ducey for vetoing legislation they say would have shown that Arizona supports the rights of student journalists who investigate shortcomings at their schools.

The measure would have shielded student journalists at public schools, community colleges and universities from administrative censorship of their work at school-sponsored media.

(Via: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/05/24/ducey-veto-of-student-press-rights_ap.html)

Student rights also include the right, or rather, the responsibility to be vigilant on various school affairs even if the medium as to which the expose has been made is one that is supported by the school itself like school publications.

The White House is overwhelmed by leaks on the Russia investigation, but that hasn’t stopped it from conducting business as usual. For the Trump administration, that means reducing much needed resources for low-income people and their families.

The Washington Post obtained access to the full education budget proposed by the Trump administration and published many of its details on Wednesday. The budget prioritizes school choice and undermines or eliminates many of the funds poor students rely on to receive a high quality of education.

The budget would eliminate $1.2 billion for the the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which provides academic enrichment for kids during after-school programs and reaches 1.6 million kids. Many of the students who benefit from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program are poor and their families benefit from the economic stability that comes from an after-school program, as well as a safe place for children to stay after school.

(Via: https://thinkprogress.org/ed-budget-poor-students-91cbbdd71e30)

There is so much going on in the world these days that world leaders have a hard time determining which one to prioritize. It’s a good thing, though, that all these seem to be all in a day’s work for US President Trump. Despite issues on bombings, terrorist threats and an impending war with North Korea, Trump still has time to push for budget cuts he had been advocating for since he assumed office. The sad thing here is that in his attempt to keep up with all the defensive preparations to protect the country, certain sacrifices have to be made, even at the expense of young students, the poor and the marginalized, and even the struggling artists who are just trying to make both ends meet.

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Multimedia Calls For Digital Creativity

Technology rules the world these days. Everywhere you look, there surely is a tech gadget that dominates that aspect of life. While we revel on the comfort and convenience many of these tech advancements give us, they may have some unwanted flaws we aren’t so thrilled about. But still, we continue to support and patronize these advancements because they make the world go round today.

A popular aspect of technology almost everyone can relate to is multimedia and for good reason too considering they are the most entertaining of all. And over the years, multimedia has shown what and how much we have accomplished in the field, from old-school multi-media presentations, projectors and photography, and now interactive multimedia. It is the creative expression of the digital technology that almost all enterprises and institutions use today.

This year, students ranging from kindergarten to high school submitted 286 projects in this year's fair, up from 172 projects in 2016. Students submitted projects in six categories: digital presentation, digital art, motion media, video game design, digital music and website design.

"Technology is growing and ever-changing," CCISD Instructional Technology Coordinator Cary Perales said. "We want kids to be ready for the future."

The fair is a chance for students to take what they've learned in school and translate that into a real project.

"A lot of our students are consumers of knowledge, but not creators of knowledge," Perales said. "We're really proud of these kids."

Some projects were fun for younger children, like the puffy slime exhibit. Others involved more complex concepts, like 3-D printing.

(Via: http://www.caller.com/story/news/education/texas/2017/05/24/digital-creativity-display-multimedia-fair/101887480/)

Other schools should also consider having this multimedia fair in their own backyards to help familiarize the students with this digital technology even further and make them feel comfortable in using it. It makes perfect sense to expose the youth to these advancements because technology is a big aspect of our lives and will only likely advance further rather than disappear. If they learn about these things at an early age, they won’t have a hard time keeping up with all the tech changes around us and can even make a promising career of it too.

Part of NASA’s mission includes educating the public on space exploration.  Present the agency's high-quality images, videos and audio files from 50 years of space exploration was a challenge, however, as the multimedia files were housed in 10 different NASA field centers.

Working with InfoZen, the space agency was able to make available 140,000 downloadable images, video and audio files through the searchable images.NASA.govsite.

“Over the course of a couple of decades, our imagery was scattered over NASA.gov so you would have to likely to have the image that you were looking for,” Rodney Grubbs, NASA’s imagery experts program manager, told GCN.  “It was inefficient for NASA, the taxpayer and frustrating for everyone involved, so we set about a way to solve the problem and create something that was scalable for mobile.” Hosted in Amazon Web Services cloud and using Limelight Network’s content delivery service, the searchable database uses infrastructure as code to support a wide variety of formats for photos, audio and videos.

(Via: https://gcn.com/articles/2017/05/24/nasa-images.aspx)

People often think of multimedia as a form of digital entertainment that is all over the world right now. And there is actually nothing wrong with that perception since it is true. However, there is more to multimedia than just keeping most of us entertained when we have nothing better to do with our lives. Multimedia can also be used in the education of the youth, similar to what the above school multimedia fair tried to achieve.

More ambitious scientific quests can likewise benefit from multimedia in the documentation and presentation of their scientific exploits. Space, in particular, has a lot of use for multimedia in showing everybody else on the planet what life is like out in the vast realms of space. It is hard for our minds to understand something we have not seen yet or were not aptly described to us in vivid detail, so multimedia takes care of that obstacle for the benefit of everybody.

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