Posted in Blogging, Lessons, Other People, Writing, tagged help I've been plagiarized, how to combat plagiarism, internet plagiarism on February 27, 2013 | 3 Comments »
Upon the advice of John, the first thing I did was look at the copyright details on Hubpages (the site where the article is originally published). According to their regulations, I own everything I’ve written and have no legal backup through them to go after anyone. Once we sat down and discussed exactly who this person probably is, and what she is doing, John further advised me to simply write her an email equivalent of a cease and desist letter.
To me, this option didn’t pack enough punch.
Posted in Blogging, Complaint, Writing, tagged someone copied and published my writing, steps to avoid plagiarism, what to do if you've been plagiarized on the internet on February 25, 2013 | 2 Comments »
In addition to this blog hobby, once in a while I write slightly more educational pieces and post them on another website (see my “Parenting Project” page).
Well, about a month ago, I Googled something, clicked a random blog looking for information, started reading, and thought, “This sounds weirdly familiar.” I continued to read and upon the word “brainless” realized that I had in fact written this. Exactly this. All of this. Here were my words, reproduced, unquoted and without my permission, and published on some stay-at-home-mommy-BLOGGER-blog, the kind created for the sole purpose of generating Adsense revenue from accidental clicks and impressions.
Posted in Complaint, Lessons, Other People, Writing, tagged begs the question, circular reasoning, define, grammar lesson, grammar snob, i feel badly used wrong on November 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Today’s pet peeves are brought to you by radio interviews with allegedly “educated” individuals, as well as actual published print material edited by people who claim to have degrees in things like English and journalism. I can’t take it anymore.
Posted in Confessions, Pregnancy, Writing, tagged good customer service, Hanes, what to do when a gel filled bra leaks all over the front of your clothes, WonderBra on September 20, 2012 | 2 Comments »
For all the times bad customer service makes for an easy and entertaining blog post (here, and here), I am always trepidatious of boasting of good customer service. But alas, I’m on a high this year, and I can tell you with completely honesty, my glowing personality in the check out line is not responsible here.
It started with Totsy.
Posted in Eliott, Lessons, Mommy Advice, Writing, tagged broken shoes, complaint letters, customer service, gold drop party, kindergarten, stride rite on September 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
About two weeks ago, Eliott’s class of behavioral over-achievers filled the jar of gold drops (and I quote) “faster than any class has ever done this!” (according to the email) and earned themselves a little party. It was a stuffed animal party. Each kid was allowed to bring a favorite stuffed animal to school for the day. Talk about a genius idea.
But this was back before brand-new-and-also-pregnant-kindergarten-mom had her shit together.
It was a Thursday. John offered to take Eliott to school, so he could see her classroom, meet her teacher, and let Carter and me sleep in.
Posted in Writing, tagged blog, contest, top 25 funny moms on March 10, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Who said I was above being nominated for Prom Queen? Just because it never happened, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a secret desire.
You might notice the shiny new pink button to the right. Click it. Find The UnderToad (waaay at the bottom of the list) and vote. You can do this once a day for the next ten days. It is a silly little contest with no apparent prize, besides Internet fame. Shameless plug for votes here people, but to be honest, I’d just like to finish in the top three. (Think I can get 1,000 votes?)
I am a little late in the entry so there are only ten days left. I think it would be awesome for The UnderToad to make a tortoise rocket-jet pack finish and cause all ten of the top blogs to go, “What the–? Where’d this come from?!”
So will you tell your friends?
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, Writing, tagged 30 day book challenge, book review, reading, writing on February 4, 2012 | 4 Comments »
It is winter. January and February couldn’t go by faster (thank God one is the shortest month of the year) because they are, for me and many others, the most depressing months of the year. Hence, I’ve been on a reading kick.
In addition to books, I’m frequently on the lookout for blogs to follow that I don’t end up hating three-quarters of the way through one post. No offense to everyone who blogs, but there are very few of you who capture my attention and affection. I understand I might perpetuate this exact problem, but I guess I’ll never know.
I like (and continue to try) reading the blogs of friends, for no other reason than to keep up with their lives, but even a personal connection to the blogger doesn’t guarantee my reading if the person is a boring writer or leads a boring life.
Anyway, I recently found this girl: http://chewyourlipstick.wordpress.com/. I hope she doesn’t think I’m a freakish stalker or something, but so far, all she’s written about are books and nail polish, two things I happen to take an un-average interest in as well.
On her blog, she posed the 30-Day Book Challenge, something someone suggested to her.
I’m taking it under consideration. I’m just nervous that I’m not going to be able to think of a book in each category. My memory for books is a lot like my memory for holding grudges. Things come to me at the weirdest times, and never on demand.
I realize if I do embark on such a regimented writing routine, some of my regular readers are going to check out for exactly 30 days. That’s fine. Once in a while, the teacher in me likes to have an assignment.
The Rules…*
Day 1: Favorite book
Day 2: Least favorite book
Day 3: Book that made you laugh out loud
Day 4: Book that makes you cry
Day 5: Book you wish you could live in
Day 6: Favorite young adult book Favorite Series
Day 7: Book that you can quote/recite
Day 8: Book that scares you
Day 9: Book that made you sick
Day 10: Book that changed your life
Day 11: Book from your favorite author
Day 12: Book that is most like your life
Day 13: Book whose main character is most like you Most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 14: Book whose main character you want to marry Author you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 15: First “chapter book” you can remember reading as a child
Day 16: Longest book you’ve read
Day 17: Shortest book you’ve read
Day 18: Book you’re most embarrassed to say you like
Day 19: Book that turned you on
Day 20: Book you’ve read the most number of times
Day 21: Favorite picture book from childhood
Day 22: Book you plan to read next
Day 23: Book you tell people you’ve read, but haven’t (or haven’t actually finished)
Day 24: Book that contains your favorite scene
Day 25: Favorite book you read in school
Day 26: Favorite nonfiction book
Day 27: Favorite fiction book
Day 28: Last book you read
Day 29: Book you’re currently reading
Day 30: Favorite coffee table book
*I can already tell I’m going to be changing/skipping some of these categories because so many are redundant or just boring.
Posted in Christmas, Parenting, Things I Said, Writing, tagged christmas wishlist, Dear Santa, what to get your kids for christmas on December 3, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Snippets from a series of recent Paulus family emails concerning Christmas gifting…
So, to be clear, now that everyone in my family is married and at least one of us has children, we made a command decision to stop with the personalized gift giving to each member of the family and now we do the big-Catholic-family who-has-who-this-year thing. In short, we go down the line and only have one family to worry about each Christmas. Brilliant. And unlike some families, who do a similar name-drawing style of gift giving, my family is not all about who can find the funniest/worst/most humiliating/crappy present giving. In fact, because of Jeff’s helicopter pilot salary, my sisters and I are usually in competition for coming up with useful but creative gifts that can compete on Jeff’s level, but don’t break our bank accounts. (Secretly, we’re all just waiting for every 3rd year when Jeff has our name again.)
In order to expedite the process and minimize hassle and ultimate disappointment, a series of emails circulates the weeks before Christmas with vague attempts at gift-giving ideas. Here is a quick peak into my current Christmas wish-list.
FROM: Claire
Subject: RE: General Christmas Gift Ideas
John and I have talked about it a bunch, but can’t think of anything we just desperately want or need right now. Please do not get us a TV or DVD player. Remember when Laura promised us her 28″ not flat screen TV but still newer (and bigger) than our previous two free TVs? She got John quite hyped up to finally be able to see the screen from the kitchen and read subtitles, at all. When said huge TV turned out to have only a 20″ screen (it’s okay Laura, I don’t know how to measure TVs either, seriously, but I think it works on the diagonal) John took us on a family trip to Sam’s Club and bought his own birthday/Christmas present. Since that day, both Mom and Dad and John’s parents have offered us a new TV for Christmas.
I get it. They want to visit. But when they come, they want to be able to actually see their favorite TV shows without glasses. Until recently, John and I had always considered a TV a bit of a luxury, one which did not trump health insurance, for example. But alas. In the wake of new technology, it turns out affording a new TV was much less of a burden than originally expected. As it is, for now, we only need one TV. Which we have. So no TV this year.
Would it be weird to ask for a month of health insurance?
FROM: Claire (to Erica)
SUBJECT: RE: I have an idea of what I’m going to get you but is there anything you are absolutely dying for?
I don’t freaking know.
I think I need back surgery. I’m mildly freaking out right now.
Back to Christmas. Generally, I’ll just trust you. But here are some ideas:
We sort of wanted one of those small firepit thingy’s that go in the back yard and I kept waiting for them to go on sale but alas, never hit a price I wanted. So there’s that.
We need a minivan.
If we get a minivan, we might want some of those little DVD players to go inside it for long trips with our children who are television addicted in the back.
I’ve been wanting to make compost and thought that one of those compost tumblers might be cool. Have no idea where I’d put it. But if I had one, I’d figure it out.
Note: we do not need a snowblower. But John would love a leaf blower. But if that was our family gift I’d write a nasty blog post about you and tell John to go blow himself. Heh. Heh.
I’m still not sold on the Nook or Ereader, so don’t go there this year. Plus, I can’t find electronic books at used book stores.
Does that help at all?
I assume you are doing a Wait family gift, but if the mood strikes to get my kids something (this is not a hint, I swear, only if you want to) there are a few standby’s that you might run into: anything princess for either of them. Really. But especially Eliott. Santa outfits in size 2T or 5. Always classic. Christmas PJ’s in 2T and 5. I’m already on the hunt for these though. They’ve been a bit of a tradition here, and what can I say, I’m sort of sold on them and their one-night-a-year glory. Unlike every other holiday, I actually think Christmas PJ’s are cute.
Saturday morning cartoons have also embedded in my children an uncontrollable desire for Stompeez.
Oh. Here’s something. We have exactly one (1) steak knife, and we use it every night. It’s always fun to share, but you know, a little awkward when we entertain, which is why I always serve enchilladas or chili when we have people over.
To be honest, this year I’ve been so excited about my own personal Christmas shopping (which is practically done, by the way, thanks to Black Friday, and Craigslist last summer for the girls) that it has been really easy not to think about anything I really want or need. After waking up yesterday with a lower back pain that made movement almost impossible, I’m actually just really hoping for healing, a cure without surgery, or some really big clients in Wait Law’s immediate future. That, or Extreme Makeover Home Edition to come outfit my house in all new ergonomic furniture, taller counters, and a year’s subscription to a floatarium.
And finally, there’s this:
FROM: Mom and Dad
SUBJECT: RE: Stompeez
- there is a FREE duffle bag (only pay additional S&H), but there is no way to opt out of free bag
- S&H is $28.00 + $7.00 internet fee PER PAIR
- “Because of high demand, no guarantee for Christmas.”
That’s what you get when you let your kids watch Saturday morning cartoons. Not-so-subliminal messages of desire for $50 air-filled-unicorn slippers.
Posted in Faith, Writing, tagged Google Review, karma, the post office in clemmons on November 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Call it kismet, call it karma, call it the balance of the universe or simply the truth of Galations 6:7, but I have always believed that things happen for a reason. I don’t knock on wood nor do I avoid out loud gratitude for streaks of good luck, good health, or good fortune for fear of jinxing anything. Though I do suffer from bouts of anxiety and worry, this irrational and hormone-induced stress is most often aimed at my immediate circumstances and rarely does it cloud over my rosy outlook on the big picture and my own sparkling future.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not walking around in the naive belief that good things happen to me because I’m a good person. (God knows, kindness and unconditional love for strangers–especially those who immediately strike me as of the ignorant variety–doesn’t come easily for me.) But it isn’t like I bow my head at night muttering, “Thanks Lord, you know I deserved that today. As long as you keep it up, I’ll keep it up.”
I do, however, like to think that a lifetime of returning stray carts in parking lots is one reason why all the cashiers at Harris Teeter treat me so well right now. I like to believe that my luck with prime parking spots on rainy days with my children comes from a time in my life when I chose to park far away for no reason. And financially speaking, when I consider that John and I are miraculously avoiding serious debt and managing, against many economic odds, to raise our family, grow a new business, and allow me to stay home with my children, I give credit to the fact that both of our grandfathers and fathers were God-fearing and honest businessmen.
So in the last three weeks or so, John has picked up a couple of new clients who found him on the Internet and chose him based purely on his Google reviews. I have to admit, as a consumer, I very often rely on the Google review to be the first and most convenient place for a product or service opinion, however, as opinionated (and succinct, and tactful, and gifted with words) as I am, I’ve never actually written a Google review.
Until now.
Today, I began in investment in Google karma.
After a productive, but not particularly restful weekend, and the prospect of a busy and stress-filled week ahead, here’s a quick plug of wife/mother/consumer -support, sent out to the Internet cosmos in the hopes of a fruitful return. God speed.
