My Quick Comments on the 2012 Federal Budget

Flaherty Delivering 2012 Budget (Globe and Mail)

Just thought I would share some quick comments that I left on the CBC news website regarding the 2012 Canadian Federal Budget that was announced today:

The CBC news article:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/03/29/federalbudget-main.html

My Comments:

20,000 public servants out of work equals fewer people paying income tax. They will also collect EI for a while, so this is more costly in the long run than the short-term savings from cutting these jobs. After a while the government will realize it needs these people again to make things function and they will have to re-hire and re-train them. This will be extremely costly, again, reducing any short-term savings for the government.

Interestingly in the middle of the robo-call affair, 7.5 million is eliminated from the Elections Canada budget. Maybe the cons are hoping this will impede any Elections Canada investigations into Pierre Poutine.

They are making the GG pay income tax, but have raised his salary to compensate for this. Essentially they are giving him more money and then taking it back to find themselves at square one without having gained anything.

Total intergenerational inequality (pensions and health care) and disregard for our youth (closing the door on Katimavik).

The name of the budget is Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity. Now that’s an oxymoron when you consider they just cut 20,000 jobs.

I’m just happy to know that the cons will again see the day when they are reduced to 2 seats like they were in 1993. Its coming much faster than you think Mr. Harper!

Related articles

• First majority Conservative budget kills the penny, raises OAS eligibility age to 67 and slashes $5.2 billion in spending (macleans.ca)

Complaint to CBC regarding Kevin O’Leary

I use to think it was funny. Now I have a hard time listening to Kevin O’Leary on the Lang and O’Leary Exchange. The show air’s on weeknights during the 7 to 8PM time slot.

The Lang & O'Leary Exchange

In my opinion it is just not appropriate to have to listen to this guy brag about his riches. I don’t need to see Gene Simmons on A&E eating lobster thermidor while I look for ingenious ways to make maccaroni and cheese new and exciting. Nor do I need to see Kevin O’Leary on the CBC rubbing it in that he is rich while I struggle to make ends meet like most Canadians.

Besides, he is only rich today thanks to his mother letting him stay in her basement and advancing him some funds to start a software company. What a lucky mommy’s boy!

In my opinion the CBC should not be carrying the type of content that is spewed by Mr. O’Leary. They are a publically funded crown corporation, and as our public broadcaster, have a moral duty to avoid broadcasting this kind of garbage.

Now you might just tell me to change the channel, and I could do just that. But unfortunately I am a die-hard CBC supporter, even going as far as purchasing  and wearing some of the clothing from the CBC boutiques. I would prefer to see my public broadcaster improve their content and lose the garbage instead of me complacently and simplistically changing the channel.

CBC Television Logo

That is why I finally decided to fire-off a short comment to CBC, sharing my view and hoping that the response will be satisfactory. I will definitely be posting it here if a response is actually received.

Here is the comment that i sent to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation:

Good Day,

I am getting really annoyed at Kevin O’Leary from the Lang and O’Leary Exchange!

As a CBC viewer, do I really need to listen to his pompous multi- millionaire attitude, and this particularly at a time when most Canadians are suffering economically?

I can understand if this type of content is found on a network like FOX, SunTV or even a private broadcaster like CTV. But they simply do not belong on the airwaves of Canada’s public broadcaster! As a middle class taxpayer, I resent that I am paying to hear this self-centered, egotistical and arrogant editorialism from Mr. O’Leary.

Please lose Mr. O’Leary’s contract or cancel the show so that I can remain a loyal CBC viewer.

A prompt reply regarding this matter would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Complaint to the CBC

CBC Auto-Reply

Related articles

• Link on CBC’s Lang O’Leary Report Discussing Canadian Labor Landscape (lawprofessors.typepad.com)

An Interesting Site: jadesambrook.com

An interesting site which includes a few photos of Canadian political leaders:

http://www.jadesambrook.com/photography.html

There are four albums: Piknic, Politics, Portraits and Various.

Enjoy!

The White Pillar

Favorite Song: Old Love by Eric Clapton

My favorite song in the world is Old Love by Eric Clapton. It has so much soul and emotion, and the lyrics strike a chord so close to home. Of course for me anything played by Eric Clapton is striking, simply put he is GOD!

Old Love has mostly remained untouched by other artists, who undoubtedly are not on par with Clapton’s slow hand. Although it was originally written and composed by Clapton and Robert Cray, it has over the years become mostly exclusive to Clapton playing it as a concert jewel. He has done it with the acoustic guitar, he has included a keyboard, bass or piano solo and sometimes all three together. On other occasions it’s simply him shredding his guitar from beginning to end. In other words, although it remains the same song, it’s never played identically.

It has of course been dabbled with my independent artists attempting cover versions for YouTube or bar crowds, some of them better than others, and none of them even close to what Clapton does. The only other serious musician that has done it extremely well is John Mayer, but since he is somewhat considered Clapton’s chosen understudy, it was to be expected that he would add this song to his repertoire.

Old Love has been overplayed through my speakers in times of heartbreak, and it is still played in better times. Simply put one doesn’t need to be feeling the blues for an old flame to appreciate the song, it’s just so awesome and beautiful on his own! It’s my favorite song in the world!

Old Love – Eric Clapton and Robert Cray – Nightmusic – 1988:

Old Love – Eric Clapton – 24 Nights – Royal Albert Hall – 1990:

Old Love – Eric Clapton – Unplugged – 1992:

Old Love – Eric Clapton – Live in Hyde Park – 1996:

Old Love – Eric Clapton – Japan – 1997:

Old Love – Eric Clapton – Madison Square Gardens – Crossroads – 1999:

Old Love – John Mayer – Red Rocks – 2004 – Audio Only – (VERY GOOD!):

Old Love – John Mayer and Brad Paisley – Live Acoustic Short Version:

Old Love – Neil Elliott Dorval – Grand Piano:

Selected YouTube Cover – Toddy:

Related articles

• How Eric Clapton Got the Nickname “Slowhand” (todayifoundout.com)

George Bush Decision Points Epilogue

DECISION POINTS by George W. Bush
Crown Publishers 2010
_________________________________________________________________________________________
EPILOGUE

I began Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the same way I had started every day for the past eight years: I read the Bible. One of the passages that final day was Psalm 18:2—“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Amen.

A little before 7:00 a.m., I took the elevator to the ground floor of the White House, walked down the Colonnade, and opened the glass-paneled door to the Oval Office for the last time. Josh Bolten was waiting inside. He greeted me with the same words he’d used every day as my chief of staff: “Mr. President, thank you for the privilege of serving.”
On a normal morning, the West Wing would be bustling with aides. But that last day, the building was eerily quiet. There were no ringing phones, no television sets tuned to the news, no meetings in the hallways. The only sound I heard was the occasional buzz of a workman’s drill, refitting the offices for a new team.

I left a letter on the Resolute desk. Continuing a presidential tradition, I had written to congratulate my successor and wish him well. The note was in a manila envelope addressed to “44.”

“What an honor it has been to come to work in this office every day,” I told Josh. Then I put my coat on, walked out the door, and took one last lap around the jogging track on the South Lawn, where Spot and I had walked the morning I gave the order to liberate Iraq.

My next stop was the East Room, where the White House residence staff had gathered. The packed room was a stark contrast with the emptiness of the West Wing. Nearly every member of the residence staff was there: the florists who put fresh bouquets in the Oval Office every morning, the butlers and valets who made our life so comfortable, the carpenters and engineers who keep the White House in working condition, the chefs who cooked us such fabulous meals, and, of course, the pastry chef who fed my sweet tooth.

Many on the residence staff had served not only for the past eight years, but during Mother and Dad’s time in the White House as well. “You’ve been like family to us,” I told the gathering, with Laura, Barbara, and Jenna at my side. “There are some things I’m not going to miss about Washington, but I’m going to miss you a lot. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Barack and Michelle Obama arrived on the North Portico just before 10:00 a.m. Laura and I had invited them for a cup of coffee in the Blue Room, just as Bill and Hillary Clinton had done for us eight years earlier. The Obamas were in good spirits and excited about the journey ahead. Meanwhile, in the Situation Room, homeland security aides from both our teams monitored intelligence on a terrorist threat to the Inauguration. It was a stark reminder that evil men still want to harm our country, no matter who is serving as president. With Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, in the Blue Room on Inauguration Day.

After our visit, we climbed into the motorcade for the trip up Pennsylvania Avenue. I thought back to the drive I’d made with Bill Clinton eight years earlier. That January day in 2001, I could never have imagined what would unfold over my time in office. I knew some of the decisions I had made were not popular with many of my fellow citizens. But I felt satisfied that I had been willing to make the hard decisions, and I had always done what I believed was right.
At the Capitol, Laura and I took our seats for the Inauguration. I marveled at the peaceful transfer of power, one of the defining features of our democracy.

The audience was riveted with anticipation for the swearing-in. Barack Obama had campaigned on hope, and that was what he had given many Americans.

For our new president, the Inauguration was a thrilling beginning. For Laura and me, it was an end. It was another president’s turn, and I was ready to go home. After a heart-warming farewell ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Laura and I boarded Air Force One—now designated Special Air Mission 28000. We landed in Midland in the late afternoon of a beautiful West Texas winter day. We drove to a rally in Centennial Plaza, where we’d attended a send-off ceremony eight years earlier. Many of the faces in the crowd were the same, a reminder of true friends who were with us before politics, during politics, and after politics.

“It is good to be home,” I said. “Laura and I may have left Texas, but Texas never left us. … When I walked out of the White House this morning, I left with the same values I brought eight years ago. And when I look in the mirror at home tonight, I will have no regrets about what I see —except maybe the gray hair.”

We flew to Crawford that night and were up at dawn the next morning for the first day of what Laura had termed “the afterlife.” I was struck by the calm. There was no CIA briefing to attend and no blue sheet from the Situation Room. I felt like I had gone from a hundred miles an hour to about ten. I had to force myself to relax. I would read the news and instinctively think about how we would have to respond. Then I remembered that decision was on someone else’s desk.

I had plenty to occupy my time. I went to work building the Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University, which will include an official government archive, a museum, and a policy institute dedicated to promoting education reform, global health, economic growth, and human freedom, with a special emphasis on creating new opportunities for women around the world. I am blessed to be the only president to leave office with both parents alive, and I’m grateful for the chance to spend more time with them. In June 2009, Laura and I joined our extended family in Kennebunkport to mark Dad’s eighty-fifth birthday, which he celebrated with another parachute jump. Mother quipped that his choice of a landing zone, St. Ann’s Episcopal, was strategic. If the jump didn’t turn out well, at least he’d be near a cemetery.

Every now and then, there are reminders of how much life has changed. Shortly after we moved to Dallas, I took Barney for an early-morning walk around our neighborhood. I hadn’t done anything like that in more than a decade. Barney never had—he’d spent his entire life at the White House, Camp David, and Crawford. Barney spotted our neighbor’s lawn, where he promptly took care of his business. There I was, the former president of the United States, with a plastic bag on my hand, picking up that which I had been dodging for the past eight years.

The day after I left office, I started writing this book. Working on it has been a great opportunity for reflection, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these thoughts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

When I chose to structure this book around major decision points, I knew it would mean leaving out some aspects of my presidency. I don’t fully cover foreign policy accomplishments such as the historic civil nuclear agreement with India or the Merida Initiative to fight drugs with Mexico. I devote just a few words to my record on energy and the environment, and I do not describe my decision to create the largest marine conservation areas in the world. I also omit an account of our successful efforts to improve services for veterans and reduce teen drug use and chronic homelessness. All these accomplishments are sources of pride, and I am grateful to those who helped make them possible.

Instead of covering every issue, I’ve tried to give the reader a sense of the most consequential decisions that reached my desk. As I hope I’ve made clear, I believe I got some of those decisions right, and I got some wrong. But on every one, I did what I believed was in the best interests of our country.

It’s too early to say how most of my decisions will turn out. As president, I had the honor of eulogizing Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. President Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, once regarded as one of the worst mistakes in presidential history, is now viewed as a selfless act of leadership. And it was quite something to hear the commentators who once denounced President Reagan as a dunce and a warmonger talk about how the Great Communicator had won the Cold War.

Decades from now, I hope people will view me as a president who recognized the central challenge of our time and kept my vow to keep the country safe; who pursued my convictions without wavering but changedcourse when necessary; who trusted individuals to make choices in their lives; and who used America’s influence to advance freedom. And I hope they will conclude that I upheld the honor and dignity of the office I was so privileged to hold.

Whatever the verdict on my presidency, I’m comfortable with the fact that I won’t be around to hear it. That’s a decision point only history will reach.

copyright – George W. Bush – Crown Publishers 2010

Better if Marijuana is Legalized

Marijuana

I have been an habitual pot smoker since the age of fifteen, although I have never smoked a cigarette in my 33 years of existence.

If I remember correctly, my friend Darcy and I were returning from a Christmas party in December of 1992 when I took my first puff from a marijuana joint. At that time it did nothing for me in terms of getting a buzz, and this was most likely because I did not inhale properly.

Another occasion to smoke pot occurred several months later, but again this time it had no effect on me.

I tried marijuana again sometime around the beginning of the summer of 1993 , and this time though I felt it both psychologically and physically. It was great and I had a lot of fun! I began smoking pot more frequently until it became a daily routine, like those that have a beer after work, a glass of wine with dinner or take a pill to fall asleep.

Frequent marijuana smoking may have slowed me down in terms of my potential, but I have not become a psycho-dillusional serial killer like US government propaganda had many believe of marijuana smokers at a certain time in history.

In fact I have done quite well in life, although I do agree that my chances of becoming President of the Unites States have been reduced by my regular and ongoing pot smoking habit. While I accept this, I do not agree that pot should be illegal.

TAXES

When alcohol was prohibited during the 1920s, many people including criminal organizations got rich by selling it on the black market. Once prohibition ended, governments saw enormous profits pour-in from taxing the legal sale of alcohol. Prohibition in that sense was clearly a failed social policy.

While countless governments have told us and continue to tell us that they are fighting crime and taking-down criminal organizations, one thing remains certain, as long as marijuana is illegal, criminal organizations such as the Hells Angels will only get richer.

If marijuana was legal, and could be purchased in the form of a pack of cigarettes at a local convenience store, then the government would be collecting taxes on those sales instead of these monies going into the pockets of criminal organizations. In other words, the legal sale of marijuana would make governments richer and criminal organizations poorer.

Marijuana Field

We can agree that the cost of societal problems related to alcohol is paid for with the taxes collected on the sale of said alcohol. However, when a pot smoker such as myself is forced to buy marijuana illegally, the government does not collect any tax on transactions of this nature. If I get lung cancer because of my constant pot smoking, then the medical treatment offered to me by the state will technically not have been paid for. Whereas if an alcoholic requires treatment, or aggressiveness from over-drinking requires police intervention, then those services have been paid for by the taxes collected on the sale of that alcohol.

Recently, Prime Minster Stephen Harper mentioned that buying marijuana could inevitably be funding terrorist organizations. Exactly my point Mr. Prime Minister! If marijuana was legal, then none of the profits from its sale would end up in the wrong hands.  

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Naturally we all want to be informed concerning the contents or ingredients in the products that we are buying. For example there is a list of ingredients on a pack of cigarettes. But when we buy pot, we simply have no idea what it contains. Maybe certain pesticides were used, then again, maybe not. Personally, I would feel much better if I knew with what or how the pot I buy has been grown. The only way to get such an ingredient label is to grow the stuff yourself, or have access to legal marijuana approved by the government just like is the case with alcohol.

SAFETY

In my opinion marijuana is much safer than alcohol. How often have you heard of somebody hitting a telephone pole because they were ”too stoned to drive”? Or how many times have you heard of a man beating his wife because he ”smoked too much pot”? How about bar fights and alcohol related violence…Have you ever heard of a bunch of potheads fighting on the street after bar closing?

On the subject of bars, if marijuana was legal, and pot bars began operating, businesses like the Pita Pit, Subway, A&W and Thai Express would all do very well if located directly across the street. The only thing pot smoking patrons would do is cross the street for munchies instead of fighting, yelling and peeing everywhere like many drunks do.

Holding a joint

Marijuana is not a gateway drug to every other drug just like ”masturbation is not a gateway to rape”. If marijuana was a gateway to hard drugs, then it could be argued that alcohol is a gateway to marijuana and should therefore be illegal too. But that would be non-sense just like marijuana being a gateway drug is non-sense. Never has pot enticed me to try crack-cocaine or heroin or any other drug for that matter.

In regards to children and teens, legal marijuana could not be sold to minors since valid identification would be required, just like is the case with cigarettes and beer. Obviously most criminal organizations do not ask for I.D from their underage buyers, and so by legalizing marijuana, access to the product by minors would be reduced if not alleviated.

JOBS

In the last five years, two communities in which I have lived have seen their pulp mills shut down for good following economic problems in the forestry industry. Today, those mills sit empty while its former workers adjust to a new life.

If marijuana was legal, these mills could be filled with workers producing everything from packs of marijuana cigarettes to hemp clothing, paper and other derivatives.

Obviously these mills (marijuana factories) would pay their hydro-electricity bills to the Utilities Company, unlike the many criminals who steal from the public power grid to run their illegal marijuana grow-ops. Such theft of electricity results in increased tariffs being passed on to the regular consumer and it is no wonder that my Utilities Company has raised consumer rates several times in the last year.

CONCLUSION

The benefits of a legal marijuana industry are far superior to the status-quo of today that only helps feed criminal entities with more financial resources. Legal marijuana would be safer than alcohol, would create jobs and fill public coffers with much-needed tax dollars.

The Streets wrote an excellent song called ‘The Irony of it All’ and I have taken the liberty of posting it here. Obviously this is quite fitting considering the irony of alcohol being legal while marijuana remains on the opposite side of a policy war.

On that note, I think I’m going to light one up!

Secret Service Protection limited for Former Presidents

Following an assassination attempt on President McKinley in 1901, the United States Congress mandated the Secret Service to officially provide presidential protection.

By 1965, Congress expanded this mandate to include protection of former Presidents and their spouses for the rest of their lifetime. This was a natural progression in matters concerning former Presidents after the Former Presidents Act of 1958 that would see former Presidents granted a lifetime pension.

In 1994 Congress amended the law so that any President elected after January 1, 1997 shall only receive Secret Service protection for ten years following departure from Office. After that they would have to take care of their own security needs.

While there were surely multiple reasons behind Congress’ decision to make such a change, it is safe to assume that budget considerations were the primary concern. One can only imagine the cost of protecting former Presidents, their spouses and any of their children below the age of sixteen. Another consideration may have been a question of necessity. While former Presidents and their families may be national treasures and important historical figures to the collective conscience of the nation, one must wonder how many threats they actually receive. For example, it would be safe to assume that former First Ladies Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter do not face protestors related to their husband’s policies.

As far as I know only Ronald Reagan experienced a public incident requiring protective intervention as a private citizen. But in the end, only the Secret Service is in the know, whether it concern former First Ladies or the former President himself.

The amendment to the law makes George W. Bush the first President to receive Secret Service protection for only 10 years after leaving office as opposed to Bill Clinton who is the last President to receive lifetime protection.

Interestingly though, George W. Bush just so happens to have been labelled as one of the most controversial and unpopular Presidents in modern American history. He may have won two terms, but he left the country highly divided and in a unparalled and unprecedented economic mess.

The question then is whether ten years of official Secret Service protection is adequate for a former President that saw himself forced to duck from flying shoes.

And today, Barrack Obama just so happens to be the first black man elected to serve as President of the United States. Although the Secret Service is the only entity that can make such pronouncements, one can make a reasonable assumption that President Obama generally receives far more threats than any other President due to the colour of his skin. Personally I think that Barrack Obama is a great President, but surely not every racist skinhead shares the same view.

Again, it is reasonable to ask whether ten years of publically funded Secret Service protection is adequate for Mr. Obama and his family once they leave the White House?

Naturally any modern-day President comes from wealth and success, and can therefore afford to pay for their own personal security. But this is not the issue; the real question is whether or not they should have to assume such a financial burden so shortly after their departure from Office, and especially when controversy, unpopularity and race are brought into the mix.

Personally, I believe that Congress erred in 1994, and that former Presidents should receive lifetime protection, regardless of the cost. I believe they should be afforded this in exchange for their service to the nation. They are after all  important public figures, and look much more respectful, official and representative of the USA when surrounded by those cool guys in black suites with sunglasses and ear pieces.

Searching for my Missing Cat

It has been almost two months since my last blog post. Unfortunately my cat of twelve and a half years disappeared and the ensuing grief brought a halt to most of my daily activities.

Mr. Cat would never go far and would always come home after a couple of hours. However, on Friday August 27, he failed to return. It was not my intention to let him out that evening but he slipped in between my legs as I opened the door to throw some items into the recycling box.

Since he had not returned by midnight I immediately became suspicious that something was not right. I started walking the neighbourhood in search for him but he was nowhere to be found.

The next morning I immediately had some ”Misssing Cat” posters printed in both colour and black and white. I put the colour posters on every single telephone pole in the area and delivered the black and white ones to every mailbox. Naturally while delivering the posters I was able to speak in person with many neighbours. This substantially increased the awareness about my missing buddy while permitting me to gather information that could still be fresh in their minds. This is exactly why it is important to act quickly when our pets are lost!

I was also sure to place posters in key locations such as at the corner store, surrounding bus stops and of course the entrance to the school yard. Believe it or not, kids are great ”eyes and ears” in the neighbourhood and shouldn’t be underestimated as an asset in the search for a missing pet.

I contacted the City through the direct 311 line and requested that they search their records for any calls that may have been received from the public concerning a lost or dead cat. The only call they were able to trace though was regarding a lost cat in a different neighbourhood.

Since the local SPCA (Humane Society) puts lost animals up for adoption after only three working days, I was sure to visit in person right away but unfortunately Mr. Cat was not there either. I sent the SPCA an email containing the ‘Missing Cat’ poster and returned to visit a second time a few days later just to be on the safe side. Again, Mr. Cat was nowhere to be found…

During this time, I spent many sleepless nights walking the neighbourhood searching for Mr. Cat. I searched every nook and cranny, looked up every tree and put my ear against every garage door in case he had inadvertently been locked inside. I also put his food and litter box outside and scattered the contents of my vacuüm cleaner bag throughout the neighbourhood so as to attract Mr. Cat back home. Humans will not pick up on these odors, but cats will. Since your vacuüm cleaner bag will mostly contain cat hair, this is perfect bait for your feline’s great sense of smell.

Electronically, I placed a free classified ad on Craigslist. In a more traditional sense I also placed a classified ad with a photo in the local newspaper. This cost me about thirty dollars for two days of circulation. The newspaper ad did generate some calls, but unfortunately they did not turn out to be Mr. Cat.

My posters and classified advertisements did mention a reward, and this was obviously an important way to increase the visibility of the ad while generating awareness.

Unfortunately in the end I was unable to find my treasured friend and he has not yet returned home. It is difficult not having any closure as I do not know what happened to him. For example, was he taken, hit by a car or did he go off to die by choice?

For the moment all that I can do is presume that he is dead. Although the grieving period has been difficult, it has been getting better with time. Obviously the household feels empty and Mr. Cat will always be remembered, but things have truly been getting easier each day.

I did not try this for myself, but if your pet is missing and you have the money, there is a service called Pet Amber Alert based on the concept of the Amber Alert for missing children. Depending on the package that you take, Pet Amber Alert will call a set number of residences in your neighbourhood to inform them of your missing pet.

While this blog post is an outline of my personal experience, I hope that it is helpful to anybody going through the same thing. Remember, it is important to act quickly as the faster you do, the more you increase your chances of reuniting with your lost friend. Although I was unable to get my cat back, I know that I took all the necessary steps in trying to find him. While I may not have been successful in the end, this doesn’t mean that you wont be!

Feline Photography using a Pentax K10D

Mario the cat can be a very difficult feline model to photograph as he rarely maintains a pose for a very long time nor does he appreciate any creative direction from the photographer. 

Both of the pictures below were taken in RAW format using a Pentax K10D. As recommended when using Pentax SLR’s, it is best to take the pictures in RAW format if you want an image comparable to what a Nikon or Canon produces. 

In terms of tweaking the camera, I set the image tone to vivid and increased the contrast and sharpness by one level. I also chose center-weighted as the metering mode. 

Since it was an overcast day, I was able to rely solely on natural light instead of having to use a flash on the cat’s beautiful eyes. Obviously I used Photoshop to add a sepia tone to the first photo, but I left the second photo untouched. 

Relaxed Cat

 f/4.5
1/250th second
ISO 400
Focal length 70mm  

Curious Cat

f/4.5
1/250th second
ISO 400
Focal length 70mm

Getting your Blog Listed

By no means can I consider myself a professional blogger or social media expert. I do however have certain preferences in terms of getting my blog listed.

The first step is to make your blog. You can use many free services such as Blogger, Blogspot or WordPress. If you don’t know the basics of setting up your blog I suggest you spend some time watching You Tube videos that explain step by step how to proceed.

Once you have published your blog, or simply update it with a new post, it is important to try to get it listed in Google and other search engines. The easiest way to do this is to use a blog pinging service such as pingmyblog or pingomatic. I have a tendency to use pingomatic as it is extremely user-friendly. All you have to do is visit their website and submit the easy to complete form.

Pingomatic

Then there is the use of social bookmarking sites. These are a very powerful way to possibly getting listed. Since one of the ways in which websites gain ”listing rank” is based on a calculation of how many other websites are linking back, by putting the URL links of your pages or posts into these bookmarks, search engine crawlers will find them when they crawl that particular social bookmarking website.

The social bookmarking websites that I have found to be the most user-friendly and with which I have had the best results are Delicious, Propeller, Reddit and StumbleUpon.  

Simply create an account with each one of these services and then bookmark your webpages or blog posts. If you are not sure about installing so many bookmarking programs, then the one that you should not do without is StumbleUpon.

StumbleUpon is great for generating traffic to your website or blog and helps a great deal with it getting it listed.

Last but not least, visit some other blogs that are of the same niche by doing a Google search. Try to be the first to leave a comment on a freshly published blog post. Especially if it is a heavily respected and heavily visited blog, search engine crawlers will be sure to visit. Leave a reasonable comment that is on subject and finish with a link to your own blog or website. Search engine crawlers will pick this up and it will be considered a point for a link to your site. Do not spam or do this several times on the same blog though.

Even better, instead of posting a comment on another blog, respond to their post with your own blog post and then give the link to your post to drive traffic your way.

In some cases it is recommended not to put any links in the comment field. For example if you are a WordPress user commenting on another WordPress blog, the comment is automatically linked back to your blog through your display name. There is therefore no reason to include a link to your blog as people can view your blog by simply clicking on your name. Search engine crawlers probably wont pick this up as a link, but individual visitors will and you will never appear to be comment spamming.

Remember to keep your blog fresh and update it at least once if not several times per day. The more your blog stays up to date, the better the chance that visitors will become followers.