Best Travel Destinations for Celebrating the New Year

I’m trying to put together in a list some travel destinations to celebrate on the New Year’s Eve. The list doesn’t include necessarily the most popular destinations by certain criteria, but mostly the locations I would love to visit someday.

Niagara Falls, Canada. The celebration of the New Year in a stunning setting is what makes Niagara Falls so attractive. "Party in Niagara" is organized annually by the Niagara Parks Commission, and the event provides an outdoor alcohol-licensed area, food and drink stalls, and spectacular fireworks over the waterfalls. Held annually in Queen Victoria Park, the event attracts around 30,000 people each year. Be sure to stop by Clifton Hills, the major tourist promenade in the town, where local and international musicians perform.

Tokyo, Japan. For the ones wanting to celebrate ahead of schedule, Tokyo is the perfect place to go. The festivities take place from the 29th of December and often till the 4th of January, where you can sing, dance or watch fireworks which mark the entrance in a new year.

Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand is the only country in the world to celebrate the New Year three times annually: once in January for the Chinese New Year, once in April for the Thai New Year and finally at the end of December, as the Western New Year has been accepted as another night to do some serious partying at the many clubs and bars in the city.

Sydney, Australia. Another exciting place to have a memorable New Year celebration is Sydney, the major attraction being the amazing display of fireworks along with music playing, against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbor. Over a million visitors gather here every New Year's Eve, trying to get the best spot to view the fireworks.

London, England. New Year’s Eve party cruises along the Thames are very popular in London, whilst people gather at the London Eye to watch huge fireworks in the wait for Big Ben to chime at midnight.

Make Money Writing Paid Reviews

One of the most popular and profitable ways to generate an additional income from a blog is to do some paid posting through paid blogging networks. A lot of bloggers like to make money online, to be paid for posting their opinions and reviews. If you look to build a good reputation, you have to be professional and consistent. Making money through paid blogging can generate up to $500 income or more per month, in some cases.

As I just spoke in my previous entry about the paid reviews and how they can be successful, now I will just present a service that connects, of course, the advertisers (ready to pay for promoting their products or services) with the bloggers (anxious to get paid in order to write articles). This pay per post service is brought by PaidPublish, a small player in the sponsored review market which brings together, as I said before, bloggers and advertisers. The marketplace is built to allow advertisers to target exact the type of bloggers needed to promote their products, services, press releases or announcements. A great feature for bloggers is that they are allowed to register more than one site in the system. Payments are made exclusively through PayPal.

All you have to do now is to register, reserve some opportunities, write on your blog and make money…

The Key for Successful Sponsored Posts

About the fact that sponsored posts represent or not a danger for the blogs, it was written a lot. What I intend with this article, is to discover some tips to be used when posting sponsored articles without driving away the audience. Because yes, if it is done properly, it doesn’t harm the respective blog.

Credibility is everything. If your readers trust you, then the advertisers have reasons to pay for you to write a post about their products / services. And as you know, they pay more, the more loyal following of readers who come to your blog for advice, you have.

Authenticity of the review. Since the sponsored posts refer to the reviewing of products or services, the idea is to actually use them before doing the review. If you write the articles based on other reviews, it will come out. And this is good neither for your readers nor for the advertisers paying for the post. Why? Because, on a hand, the advertiser will not give you another sponsorship opportunity, and on the other, your readers want to find a real review about a product or a service.

Sponsorship transparency. If you receive compensation in order to write a post, then state it clearly. And here you have some possibilities: it can be mentioned at the top of the article, at the bottom or in the title. Even you can have a special category on your blog named "sponsored posts" or something like that. The idea is to use full disclosure in order not to lose your readers.

Sponsored posts must be kept to a maximum 10% of your content. The golden rule is to keep sponsored posts at a maximum 10% of your blog content. If you write 10 posts per month, then one sponsored post won't drive away your readers. It is not necessary a 100% rule that will ensure you the success. In some cases this 10% rule can be too conservative, but in others can be already too much.

Give your customer what is he paying for. You have to take care also of your advertisers. They are paying money, so they deserve to get full value from your blog. In conclusion, make sure you give your customer what is he paying for. Because if you write the articles just to be written, then the coming opportunities will decrease (in number and/or in amount).

Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year

Since I just got back from a short break taken for Christmas, this post goes only to wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas (even though it is a little late) and a Happy New Year. May your new year be filled with love and happiness!

5 Myths about Credit Cards

If the credit cards are good or bad for an individual user in particular, or for the economy in general, is something debatable. But there are a lot of myths floating around about credit cards. With the examples presented below, I’m trying to separate, as much as I can, the facts from the fiction.

Credit cards are available only if you have great credit. This is definitely false, the credit cards being accessible to people with solid credit histories and, also, to the ones who have either average credit, bad debts or no credit history at all. If you happen to be in one of these situations, you can consider as an alternative a prepaid debit card. This card can be used anywhere as a credit card and if you pay consistently your balance each month, you will end up by improving your credit score.

A credit card with no-limit allows you to buy whatever you want. This is false, most of the credit cards having credit limits established. While some cards are advertised as having no spending limits preset, this is more marketing hype than reality. These cards have also limits that are typically set up based on the incomes of the borrower and the spending patterns.

By using the credit card you save money. This is not entirely true, since if you don't pay off your monthly bills, you will have to pay extra money in order to cover the interest charges. And if you just make the minimum payment every month, it will take more than 10 years in order to pay off the entire credit limit.

You can close your credit card account by simply cutting it up. In reality, if you want to close your credit card account, use your phone and not your scissors. It is a simple procedure; speak with a customer service representative from your credit card issuing company who can help you close the respective account.

Closing your credit card account will remove it from the credit reports. This is also, false. Finance credit reports and collections keep track of the old credit card accounts, and of your behavior. All previously closed accounts will be listed on your credit report, stating that they are closed by the customer.

Museums to Visit in Athens

Yesterday, I just got back from Athens. Even though it was just a short business trip, I had a little time to enjoy some walks around the city remembering that Athens is loaded with museums. Below I will list some of them that, in my opinion, shouldn’t be missed if you stay in the city for a couple of days.

The Acropolis Museum. The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.

The Benaki Museum. The museum houses Greek works of art from the prehistorical to the modern times, an extensive collection of Asian art, hosts periodic exhibitions and maintains a state-of-the-art restoration and conservation workshop. Although the museum initially housed a collection that included Islamic art, Chinese porcelain and exhibits on toys, its 2000 re-opening led to the creation of satellite museums that focused on specific collections, allowing the main museum to focus on Greek culture over the span of the country's history.

National Archaeological Museum. The National Archaeological Museum houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the great museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide.

Kerameikos Museum. In the ancient cemetery of Athens at the bottom of Ermou past the Monastiraki market it is a nice, but little museum. The Museum houses valuable collection of steles, sculpture, beautiful vases and terracotta figurines unearthed from the site.

Museum of Popular Musical Instruments. This museum located in Athens’ Plaka district is dedicated to Greek Popular Music. You feel happy the minute you walk in and probably you will dance and sing your way through.

National Gallery. The National Art Gallery and Alexander Soutzos Museum is an art museum devoted to Greek and European art from the 14th century to the 20th century.

Renault is Preparing its Return to North America

Renault is thinking to come back in the US market, left by the company since 1987. Even though few Americans have missed the French automaker's presence, many thought the doors would once again open once Nissan was in the fold. That hasn't happened yet, but Gerard Detourbet, the head of Renault's entry-level vehicle division, spoke in an article published by The Wall Street Journal about the fact that the company is, at least, thinking to make a move to North America, with the low-cost Duster SUV.

The Duster, which for now is being build by Dacia in Romania, will eventually be sold as a Renault if it gets to US. Since Duster is a success in emerging markets like South America and Eastern Europe, there could be a chance Renault would give the vehicle a chance in the US. But Detourbet added that Renault doesn’t intent to enter the market with just one vehicle, the most probable approach being to come with a family of affordable vehicles. But it is very probable that nothing will happen within the next three to five years.

Write a Successful Press Release

The press release is one of the most cost-effective and efficient means for getting your news out to a large audience. A well-written release can dramatically increase the sales of a company and expose it to the masses. A professionally written press release can make the difference between a successful press release and a failure. The respective release must have a general interest to the target audience and a strong news angle. In addition, it needs to be written in journalistic rather than marketing style.

So, if you are going to insert a press release in your marketing strategy, take a look at the following tips which will improve, for sure, your work.

Don’t forget the five Ws. And I’m talking about who, what, when, where and why. Remember to state them within the first paragraph.

Create a compelling headline. The headline makes your release stand out. Summarize the primary facts in order to catch the attention of your readers and always mention your company’s name.

Know your audience. Decide who will receive the press release before you begin writing it. After that, distribute it only to media, trade publications and companies relevant to your topic.

Don't just say it. Avoid saying that your product is "unique" or "the best". Instead of just saying it, try to show to the people the benefits (for example, time or money saving).

Use a distribution service. For example, Free Press Release has been one of the major free press release distributors since 2003. A lot of media editors, broadcasters, press journalists and freelancers come to this site for fresh news stories day by day. Any business can benefit from the potential media coverage generated from a well-structured press release. The most important advantage of using this service is that your press release will be sent directly to thousands of important members of the media community without the high costs of hiring a PR agency.

Best Books of 2009: Literature & Fiction

Below, are presented the best ten books of 2009 for literature and fiction. The ranking was made according to the customer orders on Amazon.com, only books published for the first time in 2009 being eligible. So, here they are:

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum McCann releassed on December 2, 2009. In the dawning light of a summer morning, a summer "hot and serious and full of death and betrayal", the people of lower Manhattan stand hushed, staring up in disbelief at the Twin Towers. It is August 1974, and a mysterious tightrope walker is running, dancing, leaping between the towers, suspended a quarter mile above the ground. In the streets below, a slew of ordinary lives become extraordinary in bestselling novelist Colum McCann’s stunningly intricate portrait of a city and its people.

Wolf Hall: A Novel by Hilary Mantel releassed on October 13, 2009. No other character from the history has been writ larger than Henry VIII, but that didn't stop Hilary Mantel. She strides through centuries, past acres of novels, histories, biographies, and plays confident in the knowledge that to recast history's most mercurial sovereign. But, it's not the King she needs to see, and one of the King's most mysterious agents, Thomas Cromwell. A self-made man and remarkable polymath, he ascends to the King's right hand. Having little interest in what motivates his Majesty, and although he makes way for Henry's marriage to the infamous Anne Boleyn, Cromwell is honored and hopes to secure a free future to England.

Brooklyn: A Novel by Colm Toibin releassed on May 5, 2009. Committed to a quiet life in little Enniscorthy, Ireland, the industrious young Eilis Lacey finds herself swept up in an unplanned adventure to America, engineered by the family priest and her glamorous sister, Rose. Eilis's determination to embrace the spirit of the journey makes a bittersweet center for Brooklyn. The Author's spare portrayal of this contemplative girl is achingly lovely, and every sentence rings with truth. Readers will find themselves swept across the Atlantic with Eilis to a boarding house in Brooklyn where she painstakingly adapts to a new life, reinventing herself and her surroundings in the letters she writes home.

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper releassed on August 6, 2009. This is a wonderful book and will make laugh out loud to everybody who will read it. Is a truly incandescent story about love of all kinds and forgiveness. Judd Foxman is separated and heading towards divorce, unemployed, and living in a basement apartment, all of which are directly related to the affair his wife Jen is having with Wade, Judd's boss. Then Foxman's father dies of cancer, leaving a final request that his entire family sit shiva seven days, and Judd and his siblings return to the suburban home where they grew up. This of course means seven days in his parent's house with his dysfunctional family, including his mom, a sexy, "I've-still-got-it" shrink fond of making horrifying TMI statements; his older sister, Wendy, and her distracted hubby and three kids; his older brother, Paul, and his wife; and his youngest brother, Phillip, the "Paul McCartney of our family: better-looking than the rest of us, always facing a different direction in pictures, and occasionally rumored to be dead."

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore releassed on September 1, 2009. After 11 years since Author’s last book and 15 since her last novel, Moore brings to the attention of the readers the portrait of a Midwest college town seen through the eyes of Tassie Keltjin, a student from the country whose mind has been lit up by learning but who spends nearly all this story out of class, as a nanny for a couple who have adopted a toddler. Tassie's a bit of a toddler herself, testing the world as if through her teeth, and she finds the world stranger and more deeply wounded the more she learns of it. Her investigations make A Gate at the Stairs sad, hilarious, and thrillingly necessary.

Tinkers by Paul Harding releassed on January 1, 2009. Harding's outstanding debut unfurls the history and final thoughts of a dying grandfather surrounded by his family in his New England home. George Washington Crosby repairs clocks for a living and on his deathbed revisits his turbulent childhood as the oldest son of an epileptic smalltime traveling salesman. The descriptions of the father's epilepsy and the cold halo of chemical electricity that encircled him immediately before he was struck by a full seizure are stunning, and the household's sadness permeates the narrative as George returns to more melancholy scenes.

Spooner by Pete Dexter releassed on September 24, 2009. This book is about Warren Spooner, a sad sack. His mother despises him as the surviving twin from a hideously painful delivery. He's not very smart, and his one redeeming talent (baseball) is nullified by catastrophic injury. He gets into trouble, a lot. Though he manages to organize his life through marriage and a job, the self-destructive behavior endures.

Sag Harbor: A Novel by Colson Whitehead releassed on April 28, 2009. The action of the books takes the readers to the year 1985. The 15-year-old Benji Cooper, one of the only black students at his elite Manhattan private school, leaves the city to spend three largely unsupervised months living with his younger brother Reggie in an enclave of Long Island's Sag Harbor, the summer home to many African American urban professionals. Benji's a Converse-wearing, Smiths-loving, Dungeons & Dragons-playing nerd whose favorite Star Wars character is the hapless bounty hunter Greedo. But Sag Harbor is a coming-of-age novel whose plot side-steps life-changing events writ large. The book's leisurely eight chapters mostly concern Benji's first kiss, the removal of braces, BB gun battles, slinging insults with his friends, and working his first summer job.

The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vásquez releassed on July 30, 2009. A virtuosic novel about family, history, memory, and betrayal from the brightest new Latin American literary talent working today. When Gabriel Santoro's biography is scathingly reviewed by his own father, a public intellectual and famous Bogotá rhetorician, Gabriel could not imagine what had pierced his icy exterior to provoke such a painful reaction. A volume that catalogues the life of Sara Guterman, a longtime family friend and Jewish immigrant, since her arrival in Colombia in the 1930s, A Life in Exile seemed a slim, innocent exercise in recording modern history.

Cutting for Stone: A novel by Abraham Verghese releassed on February 3, 2009. Lauded for his sensitive memoir about his time as a doctor in eastern Tennessee at the onset of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s, Verghese turns his formidable talents to fiction, mining his own life and experiences in a magnificent, sweeping novel that moves from India to Ethiopia to an inner-city hospital in New York City over decades and generations. Sister Mary Joseph Praise, a devout young nun, leaves the south Indian state of Kerala in 1947 for a missionary post in Yemen. During the arduous sea voyage, she saves the life of an English doctor bound for Ethiopia, Thomas Stone, who becomes a key player in her destiny when they meet up again at Missing Hospital in Addis Ababa.

Sources: 1 / 2

Zein Tea

Unhealthy diet, stress and lack of movement are the problems of the modern man, problems leading to obesity and a body full of toxins. One solution, for both men and women, is said to be the Zein detoxifying tea. It is a 100% natural herbal tea, which helps in weight loss programs and also purifies blood, stimulates liver and gives strength and vitality to the body.

The other benefits of the Zein tea are (as declared by the producer): keeps and active stomach, removes continuously the toxins, reduces efficiently the body weight while retaining the muscles, improves skin texture and appearance and regulates the level of cholesterol.

Did anybody try this tea, so far? And if yes, what are the results?

Link-Only Opportunities from inPostLinks

A new service for monetizing blogs is available for more than 2 weeks already: link-only opportunities from inPostLinks. This service is a replacement for the original version of PayPerPost.com. The only difference is that the opportunities are link only, which means you don’t have to write reviews or to endorse anything. The only thing to be done is placing the link on a post. The way of integrating it into relevant content (but not with a review or endorsement) represents the fully responsibility of the blogger.

And what are supposed to be the advantages of this new system? Improved functionality, improved disclosure and more opportunities. Instead, the first reactions received so far from the users, refer only to the small amounts offered for the opportunities, in some cases being 50 cents for a pr2 or pr3 blog.

My question is if anybody who tried already this service, managed to get some real interesting opps? And if so, how much you earned until now?

Top 5 Attractions in Turkey

It is very easy to name one of the reasons for which Turkey is considered one of the best places in the world to go on holiday. And if you already chose Turkey as your next holiday destination, below I will try to give you some tips about the places you should definitely visit on this holiday.

Blue Mosque. Blue Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, having its name derived from the blue tiles decorating the interior. Built in 1616 by Mehmet Aga, the imperial architect, in grace and beautiful proportions intended to reflect the splendor of Islam, it was the supreme Imperial Mosque of the Ottoman Empire.

Gulet cruising on the coast. A gulet is a traditional wooden sailing ship with a specific design from this part of the world. The tourism in the region is made special for this purpose: to travel on these unique ships. The swimming in the magnificent clear and blue water or the Mediterranean bathing the coasts, these are memories that will keep you warm during the colder winter months.

Pamukkale. Pamukkale is one of the natural wonders of the world. Being a unique geological formation dating for over 14.000 years, the spring waters at Pamukkale have therapeutic qualities and since antiquity have been supposed to cure rheumatism, kidney or heart diseases. In Hierapolis, which means sacred-city, the theater, the Temple of Apollo, the Colonnaded Street, Byzantine Gate, Plutonium and Necropolis are some of the highlights that you don’t have to miss in your trip here. For example, the Necropolis has approximately 1000 tombs and it is the largest in Minor Asia.

Istanbul. Perfectly placed between the Black and Aegean seas, Istanbul is the capital of Turkish culture, commerce and government. The city is a riot of colors and spectacle, and is the perfect destination for a city break holiday in Turkey. The city had and still has huge historical, religious and military significance, and would create a significant memory from any holiday in Turkey.

St. Sophia Museum. Haghia Sophia Museum, the great masterpiece of Byzantine art, was built by Justinian in 6th century. At the time it was built, it was the largest church in existence. The church was sacked by the latins during the 4th crusade in 1204 and a lot of its treasures were taken to the west. When Contantinople (today’s Istanbul) was conquered by the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmet II in 1453, it was converted into a mosque and since 1936 it has been a museum. The interior is decorated with wonderful Byzantine mosaics dating from 6th to 13th century.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

With the help of this book, you will learn how to cook the basic French recipes. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, published on the 1st of December, represent the perfect gift for any lover of the French food. This boxed set brings together Mastering the Art of French Cooking, first published in 1961, and its sequel, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume Two, published in 1970.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both seasoned cooks and beginners who love good food and long to reproduce at home the savory delights of the classic cuisine, from the historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. The techniques learned in this book, with more than one hundred instructive illustrations, can be applied to recipes in all other cookbooks, making them infinitely usable. In compiling the secrets of famous Cordon Bleu chefs, the authors produced a magnificent volume that continues to have a place of honor in all kitchens.

Sources: 1

Tips for drawing attention to your blog

Every owner of a blog wants to attract attention to his site. Some says that the content is the key, but others that the promotion of the content is everything. In fact, what is the point of having good quality content if no one sees it? There are a lot of strategies all over the internet meant to convince users to visit a specific web page, but not all of them are working. Below, are presented some of the best methods of attracting attention to your site:

The title is the most important. The first contact of your readers with the posts published is the title. A catchy title, will definitely keep up the interest of the visitors to your blog. Another way to draw attention to your posts is to be rated high in social bookmarking sites as Digg or Delicious. Having in view that this rating is based on the votes of the users at these sites and that many of them will only see your title in a list when they vote, it results that the title is far more important than the rest of the post.

Good quality content. Once you have decided on a good title, it is very important that the text delivers the content promised by the title. There is nothing more annoying than reading a text which doesn’t have to do at all with his title. The promises delivered in the beginning, must be kept. On the other side, the text must be focused on the subject. In online, the reading is not in the same way as reading offline a book or a magazine. On blogs, people want to find, as faster as possible, what they are looking for. To this end, short paragraphs and sub-headers must be used.

Provide resources. An online reputation can be built also by providing easy to use resources. Here, how-to articles, step-by-step instructional articles or question-answer articles can be used. This is due mainly because these types of articles are very simple to understand.

Add useful applications to your blog. Providing a free and useful application to your readers is another way of drawing attention. The advantage of this technique is that once people come to your site for the respective application, it is a lot easier to get them to view your other content.

Run a competition. Many bloggers can thank to some smart competitions for their success. Competitions are particularly popular if there are no or few strings attached. Internet users are getting more wary about giving out their emails, so it can sometimes be worth sacrificing an information-gathering opportunity in the hopes of drawing repeat traffic.

Learn continuously about increasing your blog traffic. A lot of websites offer good and reliable SEO articles, which can be very helpful in the effort of building awareness for your blog.

Raising a Father

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Raising a Father. All opinions are 100% mine.

Raising a Father is not just a book written by Arjun Sen, it is a father’s memorable experience, a father who realized, at the edge of 37, that he did not know his daughter at all. It is an experience that many people gone through, but they are too busy to see it and to learn the lesson. The book brings out this simple message of re-adjusting the priorities, before being too late.

Each story of the book marks the journey of a father which leaves behind the corporate world in order to become a real dad. First of all, here is emphasized the importance of taking responsibility in relationships and introduced the concept of taking measure of your relationships. Seeing the relationship with his daughter reduced only to phone calls on birthdays, the author left corporate America. The journey of becoming a true father began with the establishment of a home-based consulting company in Denver, which is the favorite city of his 10-year-old daughter. Today, Arjun Sen measures the success differently: his daughter leaves for college in a few years, and he believes that his success is determined by the time spent with her. Raising a Father is the story of a young daughter using all her charm, patience, love, and caring nature to teach her father how to be a better dad and person.

After reading the entire book, you will want for sure to share it with all your friends. Watch also the trailer of the book, if what lays written above doesn’t convinced you to pick it up and read it…



SocialSpark Disclosure Badge

Feeling the Rhythm of Cuba

Cuban music, having its main roots in Spain and West Africa, has been influenced over time by diverse genres from different countries like France, the United States or Puerto Rico. Reciprocally, Cuban music has been an important influence in other countries, contributing not only to the development of jazz and salsa, but also to Argentinean Tango or to Spanish Nuevo Flamenco.

Below, I will try to recommend you some interesting albums which will bear you from the late 70s to the present. For songs that evoke the soul of Cuba wracked by the time, you will have to listen to Buena Vista Social Club album, a recording of veteran Cuban musicians. A contemporary rhythm you will hear on Malembe album of the band Cubanismo, which introduces the modern style in the traditional music. Not least, on A Lo Cubano album released by the group Orishas you will have the opportunity to listen the influence of hip hop music upon the salsa rhythms.

Discover Montmartre

The Montmartre Hill is very famous for the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and its fantastic panoramic view over Paris, but is also a gastronomical and cultural area with an authentic charm. Very rural until a century ago, Montmartre is nowadays the last village in the big city of Paris.

Montmartre, primarily known for the white Basilica of Sacre Coeur as I mentioned before, is also famous as a nightclub district. The other church on this hill is Saint Pierre de Montmartre, which claims to be the location at which the Jesuit order of priests was founded. The lovely old Moulin de La Galette, the last Montmartre windmill, inspired famous artists. Today, the many painters on Place du Tertre are always ready to sketch out your face, which can be a nice souvenir from Paris. They remind us of the many great artists like: Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh or Picasso who lived there in late 19th / early 20th centuries.

Walking at random across Montmartre, you will discover gardens, old houses, steep streets and staircases with splendid Paris views. In conclusion, forget the well-trodden path and open the door to another Montmartre, the last village of Paris, with its beautiful streets full of history, charm and happiness.

Phatband Internet Speed from Charter

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

I can’t imagine a regular day without using the internet: for reading my e-mails, for checking the stock quotes, for blogging or, simply, for watching a movie in the evening. But, in each one of my days my internet high speed connection disappoints me. Every now and then, my browser freezes exactly when I need it hardly to work. And for me a bad connection could result in loosing money. Probably, now you wonder why I still use the same provider. I would love to change it, but I don’t have any real option being the only provider in my area. I know also that cable internet technology offers faster connection speeds than DSL. And that’s why I would love to switch to the cable connection.

A new internet service was released by Charter in the United States, service that provides customers a connection of 60 Mbps. Now that, is something worth to be mentioned! Currently, this service is available only in St. Louis but Ultra60 has been rolling out to other areas along with other high-speed products. Charter’s Ultra60 Mbps service is part of the company’s strategy to provide customers with the fastest Internet speed available at a time when it is critical to have a high-speed connection to multimedia sites. Charter ultra fast 60 will enable customers to use the Internet in all new ways including gaming, movies, telecommuting and much more at super high speeds. For sure, at 60 Mbps the internet is a completely different experience!

SocialSpark Disclosure Badge

Zwack Liqueur

Zwack is an 80 proof herbal liqueur made in Hungary with a secret blend of more than 40 different herbs and spices. It is known as the National Shot of Hungary being produced by Unicum Zwack in Budapest, Hungary. Nowadays, the powerful taste of this herbal liqueur is available into various countries across Europe and also in the United States. The secret recipe for Zwack was first developed by Jozef Zwack in 1790 for Emperor Joseph II of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and contains a blend of over 40 exotic herbs and spices. Some of the herbs and spices are distilled, some are macerated, then blended together and aged in oak casks for over 6 months, giving the liqueur a dark, amber color.

The price for a 1 litre bottle is around $ 27 in USA and around £ 21 in UK.

Books Affiliate Programs

Making money from reviewing books and by participating to an affiliate program, is an option that should be considered if your blog category allows it. The products featured in this category can include many of your favorite options where your readers can go to purchase what you recommend. After signing up for one of these affiliate programs, you can feature the ads on your site and begin to earn money. When you recommend the books you liked and include links right from there where people can buy them, you will see yourself get paid for reviewing books and doing what you love. Below are presented some of the most popular programs related to this category.

Barnes and Noble – this program offers 2.5% to 8.5% commission on sales. The products included in the campaign are books (millions of out-of-print and used books), magazines, music, video, electronic books, gift certificates and software. The frequency of payments is monthly by checks.

Audible – being the leading seller of audio books on the Internet, with over 50,000 titles, Audible offers content that is easily listenable on the PC, Mac or iPod or that can be burned to an audio CD. If you choose to be a part of this program, you will have the opportunity to promote best selling authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Danielle Steele, Maya Angelou and Tom Clancy among others. The affiliates can earn from $3.50 to $25 per sale and will be paid on a monthly basis by check.

CampusBook - represents a student-focused textbook shopping site. It compares prices on millions of new and used books from the top bookstores and allows students to compare prices on multiple books at once. Affiliates can earn 15 cents per lead. The frequency of payments is monthly and the transferring of funds is made by check.

Italian Food

Italian food is often identified with just a few of its popular dishes and I’m referring here to pizza and spaghetti. But, the Italian cuisine has a huge variety of dishes and drinks, reflecting the cultural variety of each region of the country and the diverse history. With influences from Greek, Roman, Germanic, Lombard, French, Turkish, Slavic or Chinese cuisines, the Italian cuisine is savored in every corner of the world.

A traditional Italian meal includes: antipasti (hot or cold appetizers), then is served primo or first course (usually consisting of hot dishes like pasta, risotto, polenta or soup), after that comes secondo or second course (which is the main dish, usually represented by fish or meat), then follows contorno or side dish (which may consist of a salad or vegetables), dolce or dessert plus caffè (Italians usually dinks espresso) and, finally, a digestive (which consists of liquors like grappa, amaro, limoncello, sometimes called ammazza caffè, which means "coffee killer"). One remarkable aspect of an Italian meal, especially when it is eaten in an Italian home, is that the primo (or first course) is usually the more substantial dish, containing most of the carbohydrates, and will consist of risotto or pasta.

Even if, in this country so diverse, it is difficult to define a cooking style, the traditional food is at the core of the cultural identity of Italia, and all Italians react with attachment to their own identity.

5 of the Best Travel Destinations

It is very difficult to select only 5 from all travel destinations in the world, but the ones presented below worth, definitely, to be visited.

Portugal. This country has an old-fashioned charm, with medieval castles and perfect villages scattered over meandering coastlines. From the ancient university town of Coimbra to Lord Byron's favorite Portuguese haunt, Sintra, the country's proud history can be felt everywhere. There are also the colorful and lunging streets of Lisbon, one of Europe's most culturally significant capitals, together with the wineries of Porto, with their hundred year old brand sitting stately in enormous casks, which you don’t have to miss. Something else? Maybe the sleepy surf towns of the Algarve coast, where English people are just as prevalent as Portuguese. Here everyone wants to buy you a drink!

Paris. No trip to France is complete without a stop here. In the first day, after you left your hotel in the morning, you will want to start with the city tour. The "must see" sights in Paris are: Champs-Elysees, Arch of Triumph, Concorde Square, Invalides, Eiffel Tower and Trocadero, The Opera, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Louvre Palace and Museum, Orsay Museum, Madeleine Church. Enjoy!

Morocco. Morocco means contrasts, colors and mystery and all you can do is simply catch your breath in wonder. It has a timeless quality that no longer exists in the modern world, a sense that the past with all its glory and savagery still lives on, threading in and out of the present, informing with its every word and gesture. On arrival you are plunged into a culture, a religion and a lifestyle unlike anything that you have ever experienced before: a mystery tour of a land of endless surprises, enchantment and enduring fascination. Morocco is an exciting country!

Dubai. If you want to see camels walk the streets beneath enormous skyscrapers, then Dubai is the place for this. Hospitality has been a tradition here for centuries. Today, Dubai extends this welcome by offering facilities of the highest international standards combined with the charm and adventure of Arabia. An exceptional blend of modern city and timeless desert!

Fiji. Resting quietly in the South Pacific, Fiji Islands are tailor made for relaxed adventure. Well known for its laid back atmosphere, dedication to luxury and relatively cheap prices for the region, the islands boast miles and miles of extreme pristine beauty and are a nature lover’s delight. Whether you want to stay in all-inclusive resort or explore the nooks and crannies of the island, Fiji is guaranteed to be one of the world's most beautiful travel destinations. At the crossroads of the Pacific, Fiji is the exotic melting pot of cultures of Fijian, Indian, Chinese, South Sea Islanders and European settlers. Experience it!

The new version of PayPerPost

PayPerPost is a pioneer in the sponsored post industry, not being simply one of the many ways in which bloggers can earn money with their blogs. One attractive feature is that PayPerPost offers several ways for a blogger to make money: by accepting offers from advertisers to submit blog entries based upon some specific criteria, by negotiating directly with the advertisers (using PayPerPost Direct service), as a PayPerPost affiliate or using PayPerPost v4.0, the next evolution in sponsored conversations.

This is a completely new version of PayPerPost. How different is it? Well for bloggers, there is no more busy dashboard, no more Advertiser-set prices and no more waiting for blog approval. For advertisers, they have complete control over who invite to take opportunities, and who gets approved for payout.

Cantora

Being the finest CD that Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, produced, Cantora (released in May 2009) is a fundamental project which presents duos with other notable singers and songwriters. In fact, Cantora is a two CDs set. Almost all who appear in this project are already well known artists outside their own countries (some like Shakira being worldwide superstars) and others are raising stars to watch in the future.

Mercedes Sosa was not just a great singer, she was a fundamental character in Latin American music. About the music itself, Sosa collaborated with her long time pianist and musical director Popi Spatocco. He dealt with a wide range of musical styles creating something very well rounded, traditional without being cheesy. One of the greatest songs from the first CD is "Sabiéndose De Los Descalzos" sung by Mercedes and well known Mexican star Julieta Venegas, who is also the composer of the song. Shakira also did a nice thing with Mercedes on the great version of Silvio Rodriguez's "La Maza", exploiting the subtleties of this song and adding her own middle-eastern touch. This CD includes some very unusual styles for Mercedes Sosa such as the argentine cumbia, in Leon Gieco's wonderful song "El ángel de la bicicleta" sung by the legendary Gustavo Cordera from Bersuit, who is comfortable with such rhythms. Another jewel here is the traditional zamba arrangement of argentine rocker-legend L.A. Spinetta's "Barro tal vez", sung by both Spinetta and Sosa. Something else to be mentioned is the wonderful mother-son relationship that Sosa had with a whole generation of legendary rock stars like Spinetta, García or Gieco who went to sing with her with the most utter respect and affection. She was for them like a connection with their elders and with the rich world of traditions that is fast disappearing.

In conclusion, Cantora is a great studio album and it is sad that in just a few months from its release she passed away.

Property Management

When you invest in income property, the last thing you want to worry about is the quality of your property management team. The question arising here is what company you should choose in order to put those worries behind. I suppose that you need a property management company with the skill, experience and customer service orientation, in other words with what it takes to exceed the expectations of owners and residents alike.

With an experience from over a decade and with a portfolio of more than 25,000 multifamily houses managed, Real Property Management is a company that operates in the Central and Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, and manages commercial and residential properties, offering the following services besides management of properties: maintenance, inspections, evictions and/or collections. Why is RPM the best choice for a management company to manage your property? First, because allows you to focus less on managing your properties and more on what you want to do. Then, other advantages can be underlined: affordable management fees, monthly financial reporting to owners available online 24/7, collections, regular property inspections or the existence of maintenance services.

A Friend of the Family

In A Friend of the Family (published in November 10, 2009), the author, Lauren Grodstein, speaks about a contemporary suburban drama that, with each turn of the page, takes the reader on the weight of an American tragedy. As the book opens, Peter Dizinoff, a successful doctor from New Jersey, is struggling to adjust to the aftermath of his actions as he sees his personal and professional life cracking beneath his feet. At the center of these troubles is his beloved son Alec, who deflates his father's high expectations when he drops out of college after just three semesters and moves into the apartment above their garage. And when his son begins seeing Laura, the troubled daughter of Peter's best friend who is ten years older than Alec and lives in the tainted shadow of being acquitted for an unspeakable crime when she was 17, Alec's ambivalence to his father's hopes in living a good life turns into a simmering rage.

I picked this up this book from the new fiction shelf, in the library right across the street from my home. It is a well written novel, being pretty much a string of flashback memories that presents the current position in life of the protagonist, Dr. Pete Dizinoff. With elegant prose, Grodstein beautifully conveys the struggles of family even as the protagonist is forced, through his own arrogance to finally question his moral compass and the decisions that have bought him to this time and place. It is really a wonderful novel.

“You Gotta See This” Video Contest

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

Recently launched, "You Gotta See This" Video Contest invites all interested people to make a video showing the impact of improved vision, for a chance to win the $ 5,000 grand prize. So, if you don’t want to miss your chance to win, create a video up to 90 seconds and submit it to http://www.gottaseethisnow.com/. The video can be practically what you want it to be (i.e. music video, boxing, swimming or other sports video, or simply videos showing your regular life), but must be applicable to one of the following categories:
- "My prescription lenses are getting in the way of my good time."
- "My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision."
- "You should see life after the iLASIK Procedure."

The beautiful thing is that once you have submitted your video, you can request all your friends or colleagues to vote for it, votes being very important for winning this contest. The contest, launched by Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) which is a global leader in laser vision correction, is aimed to attract thousands of video submissions wanting to find out how better vision could improve people’s lives.

iLASIK Video Contest is a 12-week contest running until December 10, 2009, winners being chosen a month later (on January 10, 2010). All entries will be judged on their creativity, association with the topic for which they are submitted and votes received. The Grand Prize will be $ 5,000, which is the approximate market value for the iLASIK Procedure (the world's most modern form of LASIK surgery where two lasers, instead of one, are used to deliver the most advanced and personalized vision correction available today).

If you miss the chance to win the grand prize, you will have also a chance to win:
- three first prizes consisting in an HDTV package (having a $ 2,500 value) - one per each video category;
- three second prize consisting in a Flip UltraHD camcorder (having a $ 199.99 value) - one per each video category.
SocialSpark Disclosure Badge

The Sacre-Coeur Basilica from Paris

It is very difficult to find a more charming and more typical place in Paris. In the enchanting quarter of Montmartre, you will feel the nostalgic heartbeat of the town where time seems standing still while walking across the narrow streets and climbing the famous romantic stairs, well known and familiar from a lot of movies. Then, you will discover the Sacre-Coeur Basilica with a breathtaking view all over Paris, and after that maybe you will take some minutes to enjoy a drink in one of the numerous cafes around the artist square named "Place du Tertre".

The Sacre-Coeur Basilica is a popular landmark in Paris, being dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The basilica is located on the highest point in the city. With its origins in the aftermath of the French Revolution among ultra-Catholics and legitimist royalists, it developed more widely in France after the Franco-Prussian War. Though today it is asserted to be dedicated in honor of the 58,000 who lost their lives during the war, the decree of the Assemblée Nationale, back in 1873, specifies that it is to "expiate the crimes of the communards". Montmartre had been the site of the Commune's first insurrection, and many hard-core communards were forever entombed in the subterranean galleries of former gypsum mines where they had retreated, by explosives detonated at the entrances by the Army of Versailles. Hostages had been executed on both sides, and the Communards had executed the Archbishop of Paris, who became a martyr for the resurgent Catholic Church. His successor, climbing Montmartre in 1872, was reported having a vision, as clouds dispersed over the panorama: "It is here, it is here where the martyrs are, it is here that the Sacred Heart must reign so that it can beckon all to come".

Sacre-Coeur is built of travertine stone. This stone constantly exudes calcite, which ensures that the basilica remains white even with weathering and pollution. A mosaic in the apse, entitled Christ in Majesty, is among the largest in the world. The basilica complex includes a garden for meditation, with a fountain. The top of the dome is open to tourists and affords a spectacular panoramic view of the city of Paris.

Souvlaki, the popular Greek food

Souvlaki, the famous Greek food, consists of small pieces of grilled meat served on a skewer, together with some other ingredients in pita bread, or on a dinner plate. Traditional meat used for souvlaki is pork and lately chicken, but there are other variations as well, like beef, lamb, swordfish, even a vegetarian souvlaki with no meat at all. The secret of a great souvlaki, is that the meat is prepared in advance, cubed into small pieced and marinated for a few hours in freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil, combined with herbs and spices (oregano, thyme, salt and pepper etc.).

For this recipe you will need: 2 1/2 pounds of pork shoulder cut in 3/4 inch cubes, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, 1 tablespoon of sea salt, 2 tablespoons of red wine and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

How to prepare it? In a bowl, pour wine and oil over the pork and toss to coat. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano and toss again, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Use 8 inch wooden skewers, thread approximately 6 pieces of meat on each (this should result in about 12 skewers). Grill the meat turning until well browned, for about 15 minutes. Serve directly on the skewers with a squeeze of lemon.

Gracias from Omara Portuondo

With Gracias album (released in December 2008), Omara Portuondo wanted to revisit the songs that she has found most moving and to work with the songwriters she most admires, such as Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés and Jorge Drexler. But these are not the only star guests on this recording, as if the list was not already impressive enough (other great names being Chucho Valdés, the African musician Richard Bona and the Brazilian maestro Chico Buarque). Some striking collaborations present on this project, must be mentioned, starting with O que será in duet with Chico Buarque and finishing with Ámame como soy with Pablo Milanés, a song with lyrics that could stand as a metaphor for the whole album.

Speaking about the album, Omara says: "I selected these tracks because they are very popular and people know them in Cuba. I like all of these songs and I wanted to work with younger people who play modern music which is still rooted in tradition". Indeed, the backing band for this 13-track disc features the likes of jazz bass virtuoso Avishai Cohen and rising Cuban star Roberto Fonseca on piano. From cabaret dancer in decadent pre-Castro Cuba to vocalist of intimacy and passion in the world-famous Buena Vista phenomenon, Omara has been a performer and entertainer for six decades. This album marks out her territory of sweet, sentimental nostalgia in favorite songs from all the eras she's lived through. Simply, this CD can be played over and over just to discover what it must have been like to be Omara Portuondo at every beautiful age.

10 Blog Directories for Submitting Your Blog

Simply having very good content on your blog, is not enough. If no one knows about its existence, it is for nothing. One way to attract more visitors on your blog is to list it in as many blog directories as you can. But when you list your blog in a directory, make sure you provide accurate details and proper categorization. This way, anyone who is looking for a blog on a specific topic will find yours in the search results. Below, I present the top 10 free blog directories that your blog should be in:

Blog Catalog is a social networking service that allows members to submit their blogs and create unique personal profiles online in order to find and communicate with other bloggers. The directory features interesting categories, from arts, entertainment or lifestyle to business, news or technology, and offers the possibility to search by country, language and user. Blogs can be added to the site, but must be approved before they go ‘live’ in the directory.

Blogged is, at the same time, a blog directory and a news type site which provides breaking news taken from the blogs listed on the site.

Blogarama is a massive index of over 100,000 blogs, very simple to search and use. In order to list your site, you have to follow a couple of easy steps, starting from creating a free account and finishing with the adding of your blog details.

Blog Flux is a huge directory easy to use due to the fact that it allows you to search blogs alphabetically.

Globe of Blogs is a directory which offers the feature of searching for blogs by title, author or subject. In order to be accepted, your blog must not be a commercial one. Also, linking back to Globe of Blogs is optional, and is not a condition for inclusion in the directory.

On Blog Explosion directory, you can: add multiple blogs, add banners to promote your blog with click through reporting, refer new members, get your blog reviewed by other members or get full blog statistics.

On Bloggapedia, you can easily connect to the top blogs and newest posts. Innovative categories and a colorful design make this directory very interesting.

Bloggeries has the best categories and subcategories home page on the internet. The layout is clear and concise, and readers are able to find what they are looking for very fast.

Super Blog Directory has an excellent system for categorizing the blogs on the site, being also easy to navigate. It also allows site users to rate blogs (from 1 to 10 stars), containing also professional blogging resources.

Blog Hints is a blog directory and a blog search engine, which allows you to add your site to various categories (i.e. games, politics, health, reference, humor, science, shopping, financial, travel etc.). In order to be able to propose your blog, you have to create a free account first.

If you have a favorite directory not mentioned above, let me know!

Hotel Son Caliu

This year, me and my wife traveled to Spain (Mallorca more precisely) on August. We really enjoyed our stay, having very good weather, and we both felt that if the weather had been bad, we would still have had a pleasant stay. Why? Because Son Caliu hotel is perfect also if you just want to relax.

The hotel, surrounded by mature subtropical gardens in a quiet residential area just 10 minutes outside Palma, is located in a bay with direct access to a small private beach and only 700 meters from the popular beach of Palmanova.

The spa and gardens are very nice and the staff of the hotel very helpful and friendly (from the reception staff, to the waiters in the restaurant and, finally, to the bar and pool staff). The private beach is small but the main beaches of Palmanova are no more than a five minute walk. Breakfast on the terrace each morning overlooking the bay was great. In the evening, we didn't eat in the restaurant but there are plenty of good restaurants in that area.

We had a standard double room which, compared with other hotels we have stayed in, was very good. The rooms are in need of refurbishing because they are a little outdated. Our room was clean and comfortable which was all we needed having in mind that we spent most of the time on the beach, at the pool or visiting the beautiful island of Mallorca.

One Love from David Guetta

One Love is the title of the fourth studio album signed by French DJ, David Guetta. Officially released on August 25, 2009 it is in fact a double disc, the second one containing extended/club mixes of album tracks plus 2 bonuses. The reviews for this album were generally favorable.

With guest appearances from Akon, Will.I.Am, Estelle, Kid Cudi, Ne-Yo, Novel or Kelly Rowland, the album is an ambitious project, in fact a manifesto for the global pop and dance audience, blurring the lines between urban and electronic styles along the way. Fans will get well-done music that can, definitely, get a party started. It must be mentioned that One Love features also an exclusive David Guetta remix edit of the Black Eyed Peas number one hit called I Gotta Feeling.

The Road Out of Hell

The Road Out of Hell written by Anthony Flacco and published in November 3, 2009, presents the disturbing true story of a 13-year-old boy, Sanford Clark, sent to live with his uncle on an isolated farm in California in 1926 where was held captive till the age of 15. Clark becomes quickly subject to all kind of abuse by his uncle, Gordon Stewart Northcott, a psychopath and sadist who lures young boys to the farm to sexually assault, torture and kill them. Forced by Northcott to take part in the murders, Sanford carried tremendous guilt all his life. Yet despite his youth and the trauma, he helped gain some justice for the dead and their families by testifying at Northcott’s trial, which led to his conviction and execution.

Amazingly, the book not shows just a picture of an almost unimaginable evil, but also gives us the picture of Sanford Clark, who was one man able to transcend the evil into which he was forced by his uncle and to become uncommonly good: as a decorated WWII vet, a devoted husband of 55 years, a loving father and a productive citizen.

But in the end, The Road Out of Hell is a chilling look at a dark chapter in America's history.
ss_blog_claim=d7adf5ce960666ba43c569a1e96fd60e