Webhosting, HTML and other online language

Two years ago, I knew nothing about CSS, HTML and all these foreign sounding codes. I figured, why'd I have to learn about it when I had my free blogging platform that worked like a charm. It had built in designs and templates, all I really needed to do was type in my text and click publish. However, after some time I got bored with the backgrounds, the colors and so on and so forth so I started exploring the lay-outs and codes. Soon enough I learned what java script meant and these previously unknown terms became understandable to me. At first, it was limited to just tweaking the html codes. My biggest accomplishment at that time was being able to install my own favicon, thanks to some online tutorials!!!

Today I have progressed to knowing about bandwidth, cpanel and cheap hosting plans that offered the best package for your blogging needs. I am lucky I have a web host who helps me a lot with figuring out how things work and who gives me tips to improve the monetizing potential of my blogs. It's nice that even someone like me can redesign and tweak my blogs almost completely independently.

The next thing I have to master with this whole blogging thing is remembering how all these things work and more importantly: the passwords of all my different blog accounts!!!

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Bubba's Vacation!!!

I am looking forward to Thursday because at long last, I will be taking Bubba back to the beach!!! :-) The last time we were there was October two years ago and both he and I enjoyed it a lot. The only downside to our trip is the fact that my trusty old point and shoot camera broke down...just when I bought a new battery for it. For some reason, it started taking photos with all these random white lines on it. My online friends say it looks like a lens problem and that having it repaired may not be worth it. I'm gonna give it a shot though, but most likely they're right :-( Funny though, it can still take videos. Let's see what happens from here. I'm trying to stop myself from buying a new one because a.) I don't really need it and b.) I have my SLR camera anyway. But I still want a handy point and shoot!!! Gadget gods please send one my way!!!

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Summer Math Programs

In the school I teach in, we have an overflow of students who come in for Reading and Math help during the summer. I think it's their way of trying to make sure their kids are ready for the next school year. However, with the stifling heat and terrible weather we are experiencing, I wish I can just become an Online Tutor! This way I can meet my students without having to leave home.

Given that Math is not my preferred subject, will limit my Free Online Tutoring to other subjects, if it does happen. I definitely wouldn't make much of a Math Tutor, given the fact that I am not a very good Math Problem Solver! However, there are many sites available that are currently offering Online Math Tutor services.

Some parents may have qualms about getting Math Tutors Online, however. Some may be apprehensive about the kind of interaction their kids will get without the face to face interaction of a teacher. Studies show, however, that interactions online are very much like interactions offline. The bonus about online tutoring, however, is that it may end up being more cost-effective and convenient. Hmmm....this is really making me contemplate the idea of taking my teaching online!

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Bring the Munk Home!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alvin and the Chipmunks. All opinions are 100% mine.

When Alvin and the Chipmunks Squeakquel came out, most of my preschoolers started coming to school singing the song "Single Ladies". I remember how cute they looked attempting to dance like the Chipettes and how they would argue who would be the different characters from the show. I then shared to them about how Alvin and the Chipmunks used to be a cartoon and how I loved watching it on VHS. Many of them didn't believe me at first until I fished out an old copy of my Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas album with a picture on the cover! I played the tape and let them listen to the songs Christmas Don't Be Late and the Hula Hoop song.

It's funny how one of my all time favorite cartoons has gone computer generated. On one hand, I love how the new generations are able to get to know these characters the way I did when I was a child, on the other, on the other, I wish they remained cartoons still. Nonetheless, the characters are still much loved and they have taken on a new dynamic. Not only do we get to see them on the big screen, we can even play Alvin and the Chipmunks games. I tried out the game called "Munk Yourself" where you create your own Chipmunk character. It's kind of playing paper dolls, only high tech! Being an online interactive game, you get to mix and match your Chipmunk!

 We can all re-live the Chipmunk experience at home! The Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download. A double DVD pack is also available which has a bonus disc entitled "The Squeak Along" which I'm sure kids will enjoy singing along to. Perhaps for my next preschool family day program I can even get my kids to do a song number like the Chipettes :-) Click here to buy it now and enjoy More Munk Mayhem!

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Moving in New Directions

It's been almost a year since I explored the world of self-hosted blogging and creating niches for my sites. Since then, I have seen my life go in so many new directions, sometimes it's hard to keep up. I went from being a typical schoolteacher to a pseudo-media practitioner (I call it pseudo because I've only gotten my toes wet in this new direction, I haven't really fully submerged myself in to it), and for the most part, I've loved every minute of it. It goes way beyond the perks of attending events, but I love how by going in this new path, my world has really opened up.

I'd like to think my adventure has also influenced the people I work with in my offline life. Since I've shared about what I do online, my colleagues, for example, have started to recognize the potential of blogging and social media in our clinical practice. Currently, I am trying to figure out how to manage our company site, and being the newbie that I still am, I'm still having difficulty learning the ropes. One thing I am exploring now is a good business web hosting plan, especially since I think that our needs may exceed a personal blogger's needs, but these are all just ideas so far. I still have to orient myself with the terms and codes that still confuse me every now and then!

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Data Cards and Mobile Connections

Recently, my friend spruced up my HP IPAQ in the hopes that I can make use of the portable pocket PC once again. Ever since I got it a few years back, I never was really able to get how to make the internet connections work. All I'm usually used to is the automatic types that just connect instantly when it finds a signal. One of the tabs in the internet connections options said "data card", which I had no idea what was. So I checked it out on Google and found a blog about data cards and I realized that this is perhaps why I was not able to maximize the internet potentials of my pocket PC.

A data card is something that can be used with notebooks computers for mobile broadband access, like one of those Aircel data cards. I haven't seen any of these cards yet but I would sure like to give it a try, after all, I already have the device. It would be great to actually make it work. These data cards boast good browsing speeds which is better than a dial-up connection, although it's said not to be good enough for streaming media. Nonetheless, for a blogger like me, I think it would serve it's purpose enough.

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Quick and Easy Photo Effects!

I am so jealous of my friend Janine's photoshopping skills. Try as I might, I can never get what she does! All I can manage to do is adjust lighting and brightness, but to do fun photoshop effects like making it seem that you are in another place or even better, in a drawing or big screen, is an impossibility for me. Much as I try, I can't seem to master the fine art of photo shop! Well, to be fair, I think if I really tried hard enough, I'd get it, but I don't really have the time or patience to do so.

Good thing I came across an online funny photo effects site which allows me to upload photos and in an instant, my photos are transformed! Take a look at these:

thanks Iris for the nice photo that I was able to transform!

I picked these effects because I always liked sketches but I'm too shy to pose for a portrait.Through this online program, I have what I wanted :-) There are lots of other funny pictures effects available, such as making your photo a tattoo, appear next to a white tiger, in a Rubik's cube and lots more. In fact, new effects are added daily.

Beat that Photoshop!  Granted that I am limited to the uploaded effects, the fact that there are so many effects to choose from definitely trumps that. Plus all the time I get to save from editing a photo over and over to get an effect that I want is a big bonus!

Here's another one I liked a lot! 

This is a nice treatment for one of my very favorite photos. I love how the sepia tones bring an old feeling to the photo. I used the same effect for other photos but this ended up being the best. Why don't you give it a try too? Take my word for it: trying out these effects can be addicting!

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I Gloo, Do You?

When I fist heard of Gloo, I thought to myself: oh no, not another social network. However, as I watched the video explaining what it was all about, I saw it's unique potential. Unlike social networking sites, it's not simply your personal space where you can update your status or inform people what you are doing, Gloo is a collaborative workspace where you and your friends can interact in real-time. It's kind of like an online desk that allows you and people who have access to that space to meet and discuss ideas. The closest thing I can compare it to would be a conference chat, but more fun since you can draw, embed videos and photos, and create lists and posties to remind you of what is going on.

I tried it out for a few days and I enjoyed leaving little messages in my friends spaces and doodling on their sites as well...but I accidentally removed a picture that was in someone else's space!!! Sorry hehehehe! I have also been able to keep myself abreast with plans about parties and events that I will be attending.

My cousin and I even tried it out for our pastry business. We used the Gloo board as a venue for coordinating our plans and things to do for the business, Baby Cakes. We posted our goals for the year and two stickies where we can leave reminders for each other.

As a teacher, I see this as a tool that I can use to make discussions take on a new perspective. I can forsee myself using it as a group message board in my classes in the future. Too bad classes are done for the term because I tried it out and this is what I came up with! This is something I will definitely try out in January when classes start up again. Perhaps I can even add other posties for questions and games that I can engage my students in.

Teacher Ria's Gloo Space!

 I can just imagine the potential of this space for collaboration! For example, this would be a good option for brainstorming because everyone can put in ideas at the same time then we can identify threads right away. Also, as the teacher, I can monitor who is participating and who is not. I think this would be a good way for me to see also who in the group ends up being a freeloader by observing what is going on in these spaces. Interesting!

In trying it out in the beginning, I had some problems with the slow loading of widgets and erasing of doodles I made on my workspace. At first I thought it had something to do with my provider, because I assumed since Gloo is powered by Globe it would be better if I subscribed to Globe Broadband however after updating my browser, it worked just fine. An added bonus, however, for Globe subscribers is that you can even send an SMS or MMS to your Gloo spaces. I have yet to try that though. Right now I am still exploring the space but if you're curious about it, you can inquire about Gloo and read their FAQ page.

A limitation of my Gloo space right now, however, is that I only have a few friends to Gloo with. So...I Gloo...do you? Gloo with me :-)

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Mobile Banking and More.

Nowadays there are so many ways to settle whatever bills pop into your mailbox. Gone are the days of standing in queue in multiple banks, service centers and what not..Today, one does not even need to leave the comforts of their own homes to settle utility bills, pay for school tuition or even make payroll disbursements. And yes, you don't even need a computer to do all these and more.

With just a mobile phone, not only are those transactions settled, you can also do online purchases via GCASH Click, pay for airplane tickets, make donations to various institutions or organizations, pay for your insurance and make loan payments as well. Powered by BPI Mobile Banking, Globe and TM subscribers have a new handy way of managing their banking transactions.Families of OFW's can also maximize their hard-earned money from abroad with GCASH REMIT which enables their families here to instantly claim their remittances in over 2,500 locations around the country.

However, if doing online banking was a big step forward for a person like me (yes, despite my being a child of modern technology!) I still have some fears and trepidations about mobile banking. In fact, one thing I still consider when online shopping, such as in Multiply, is how payments are made. I still feel a bit confused about how these GCASH and mobile money transferring works.Also, I am the type of person who feels more at ease when someone explains to me how things work over reading it from a webpage. It makes me feel more secure about what I'm doing. To clarify these issues, Globe GCASH is sponsoring the upcoming DigitalFilipino E-Commerce Summit on November 12 and 13 where the president of G-Xchange, Inc, Ms. Rizza Maniego-Eala will talk about the challenges and opportunities in mobile money transfers.

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A Couch Potatoes Best Friend

The other day, my friend and I were window shopping around Mall of Asia when out of the blue, he commented on how easy it is to get good TV deals now. He was quite amazed at how affordable these television sets have gotten. In fact, he said that if only his cash wasn't earmarked for a new cellphone, he would have gladly gotten one of those more affordable LCD TV's. After all, a good TV set is a couch potatoes best friend!

If I were to purchase a new television, I think I would stick with a SamsungTV. The last two TV purchases we've made were of this brand, and so far, I've been happy with it. One thing I don't like, though, are the remote controls. For some reason, both the remotes broke within the first year or so. Then again, it really didn't make much of a difference since I have one of those universal remotes. How I wish Santa one of these down my chimney this Christmas!

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Identity and Information Protection.

I recently finished watching the entire five seasons of the television series Alias, which starred Jennifer Garner as an agent with the CIA. It took me about two weeks to finish it all. Basically, that's all I watched day in and day out!!! It was amazing to see how technology was even as early as 2001. In the same breath, it showed me how easily one's identity and information can be stolen or violated. And to think they were showing supposedly protected information. It may be kinda mind boggling for me to understand how they crack codes and encryptions as well as penetrate systems with auto logoff and security measures in place. In this day and age, it is very important to be vigilant about how our information is being processed, especially online. Also, when it comes to shared work stations, it is vital to have your own profiles protected by passwords and the like because it is so easy to peep into others documents. In fact, I had a student who once stole someone else's paper because she forgot to log off from her email. I guess this is also one reason why I refuse to use other computers at work despite the fact that I hate lugging around my heavy lappy!!!

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