What I'm loving on my iPhone: Viggle and Hero Academy

Two apps that I've recently downloaded have made me quite the happy iPhone user (as if I wasn't already). The first is the game Hero Academy. It trumps all of the GamesWithFriends that I play. It's a strategy based game that you play against actual people. It's a little like chess in that you have "pieces" that you have to split between offense and defense. Each type of character can move in different ways and has different powers just like chess. The animations are great, and it only takes a short time to get the hang of things.  If you download it start a game with me! Username is Nesheaholic (of course)

The second app, which I just got Wednesday night when it came out is Viggle. It's basically an incentive based program that gives you rewards for watching TV. You "check in" to a show by letting the app "listen" to your tv and then you get points for how long you watch the show. Those points can then be redeemed for small gift cards from the likes of Starbucks and Amazon. I think it's pretty cool. Get rewards for watching tv... I love TV and I love rewards, so this is a match made in heaven.

The app is so innovative. It's the first app I know since Shazam that utilizes the iPhones "listening" ability. From a marketing standpoint it's genius. Encouraging people to share what they are watching for points, offering points for watching movie trailers, they've got a good system that is obviously of interest to advertisers since there are a lot of businesses signed up in the rewards program. You can also set easy reminders in your iPhone to watch shows through Viggle.

What smart phone apps are YOU loving right now?

Way Too Many GamesWithFriends

Games are supposed to be fun right?

It all started with Words with Friends. It was such an exciting concept, playing a live scrabble game with a friend I actually knew. It was a great time passer, and I even got my mom playing. After Words with Friends came Hanging with Friends. This was also an exciting venture. It's like hangman, but I can play it with my friends from afar, how cool, right? Now, upon having Words with Friends and Hanging with friends both going, my iPhone notifications of games awaiting me to take my turn increased. I think I constantly had at least one game awaiting my attention. It almost became a chore. I don't like having unchecked notifications on my iPhone screen, and leaving them there was driving me crazy lol. THEN, this week, enter Scramble with Friends. I also love this game, but there are just too many games! I get more game notifications on my phone than I do texts or calls lol. On top of the "with friends" games I'm also playing Hero Academy. What am I to do with all these games?! lol

My username on all the games are Nesheaholic, if you play and want to challenge me ;-)

Blogger Spotlight: Cami of "First Day of My Life"

Hooray for my third edition of the Blogger Spotlight Series! Today, I introduce you to Cami of First Day of My Life. Christian and proud of it, Cami has a blog similar to mine, a compilation of likes, dislikes, and daily occurrences. She also keeps up with blog series' like Tasty Tuesdays and Wordless Wednesdays. If you are looking for some freelance design or social media work for your company, organization or website, she does that too!

How long have you been blogging? 
I started blogging summer of 2011 for First Day of My Life. I've been blogging for Baby Pickel's blog since May of 2010. (Baby Pickel helps single moms/families in need.)

What made you start a blog? 

I always enjoyed blogging for Baby Pickel. What I blogged about for Baby Pickel had to do with the families we were helping, ways God showed Himself to me, inspiration, motivation, etc. I enjoyed (and still enjoy!) it but wanted to start getting a little more personal - so I started First Day of My Life.

What was your vision when you first started blogging and how has that changed over time? 

My vision for blogging is to have a place to go to as a creative outlet, to connect with other bloggers, and really shine the light of Jesus to my readers.

You seem to have a nice blog following, what do you think contributes to that?

I visit those people's blogs that visit mine and leave me comments...I respond to comments. I try to build a relationship with my readers - I think that shows them that I care about them as a person (which I do!)

What advice do you have for the aspiring blogger?

Be real. Just like anything else - have fun. Don't try to be like someone else because they have a bunch of followers - just be yourself. Most importantly,  don't write for anyone but yourself.

Where on the internet outside of your blog can you be found?

Twitter / GooglePlus / eTsy / Pinterest

My Thoughts on the SOPA/PIPA Internet Shutdown

First off, if you haven’t been keeping up with the events leading up to yesterday’s Internet Shutdown and what SOPA and PIPA are all about there is a FAQ below.

Now, my thoughts:

The whole movement kind of made me excited. I was excited to see a demonstration like I saw. Various websites (Reddit, Tumblr, Google, Wikipedia, etc.) allowed internet users to really get a piece of what our online lives could be like if bills like SOPA and PIPA passed. You go to look for/at something... and it’s just not there. Censored, blacked out, at the whim of companies or the government. I think we entirely take the freedom of the internet for granted. That freedom is threatened by SOPA and PIPA.

The first place I came across some anti-SOPA/PIPA action was Flickr. They gave users the option to black-out their hosted photos for the day. 

I also appreciated Tumblrs contribution. They gave users an option to black-out their Tumblr blogs for the day. So yesterday, if you happened to visit my tumblr you saw this: 

And there was Wikipedia, who blacked out their site for the day, and Google, who censored their logo.

Who was I disappointed with? Facebook and Twitter. I’m not saying they needed to shut down. I think they played an important part in getting the word out about action steps against SOPA and PIPA. But I feel like they could have done SOMETHING. Give users an easy option to black out their profile photos, have a SOPA pop-up box or something. How dare you be two of the largest social networking sites on the internet and not do something to take a stand for internet freedom?

FAQ (re-posted from Reddit.com’s black-out page)

 

What is the intent of SOPA/PROTECT IP?

The stated intent of the bills is to provide tools for law enforcement and copyright holders to protect their intellectual property rights.

What’s wrong with protecting copyrights?

Nothing! The devil, as they say, is in the details. PROTECT IP and SOPA will cause too much collateral damage, have a high potential for abuse, and won't even be that effective at stopping the crimes they target. Read alienth's examination of where these bills fail.

What are the differences between PROTECT IP and SOPA?

At a general level, the bills are very similar. SOPA, the "Stop Online Piracy Act," is from the House of Representatives, while the PROTECT IP Act is from the Senate. Either or both bills may pass a vote in their chamber of congress on their way to becoming law. Both must be defeated to end this threat. There have recently been more detailed explanations in an ELI5 thread and alienth's blog post.


More answers
Check out the /r/SOPA Community FAQ.

Learn more

• Read alienth's blog post on why these acts are bad for business
• Information on H.R.3261 – Stop Online Piracy Act at OpenCongress.org
• Information on S.968 – PROTECT IP Act at OpenCongress.org
• SOPAOpera.org keeps track of where your congressmembers stand

Get Involved

• Outside the US? Find out what's wrong with ACTA and do something about it. Email the US state department about PIPA and SOPA via Stop American Censorship
• Look up and contact your representative via the EFF
• Helpful info from a redditor on making phone calls to your senator or representative
• Complete the Take Action Checklist at Stop American Censorship

Funerals = Luxury + Tradition

The whole process of funerals is steeped in tradition. Funerals are expensive, and are pretty much luxury purchases. Of course, going to a funeral is NOT a luxury, but the money spent isn’t necessarily needed. The concept of “sending someone off with dignity” is built in tradition, not in any actual fact that a person’s passing will be made simpler based on their funeral. This isn’t new. This goes back as deep as the Egyptians who were buried with all their treasures and possessions, as well as their servants, because they believed those things would be with them in the afterlife.

Funerals are more for those left behind than they are for the dead. We want the tradition, we want a nice casket and processional. We want a nice service. We want a burial plot to go back to and visit, and leave flowers. These emotions are valid. There is some sort of sense of closure, or rather, the beginning of getting over the grief, that comes when you leave the funeral, or see the casket lowered. You feel like you’ve been given permission to begin to move on, however long that takes. These emotions and need for the tradition are valid, yet expensive.

The funeral business is a BUSINESS indeed, and a lucrative one, that plays off the emotions of grieving families. Wanna know a secret that's probably not surprising? There is a HEAVY mark-up on funeral items, just like everything else.

Average cost to purchase a casket for the business: $605
Average charge for a casket: $1,815
That’s a 3x mark-up.

This is the reality. A reality that many people don’t even realize until they are in the face of a loss and planning a funeral. There are pre-pay options for services, in which you lock-in a rate instead of paying whatever the going rate is 20 years down the road. But not many people know about this option or even take it because honestly, we don’t like to think about death and dying.

*cue happy music*
Well, that was morbid, but I had to get it out. I’ve been meaning to write this for a few months. Here, have three cute puppies yawning to make you feel better :-)

Alcatraz: First Impressions

I love some good TV. I've been excited for the pilot of Alcatraz since I'd seen the commercials. I'm happy to report I wasn't disappointed by FOX's newest series. The basic premise is that 40ish years ago all the prisoners and guards of Alcatraz (LOL at me almost typing "Azkaban") prison disappeared, and are now returning in present day... only they haven't aged at all...and they are killing people.

I'm totally digging the "monster of the week" series format they're going with. In their case, the "monsters" are former Alcatraz inmates returning, not looking a day older than the day they disappeared 40ish years ago. The team's goal is to catch each prisoner before they kill, and lock them back up where they belong.

I really enjoyed the main team/pair. Visually they are an unlikely duo, and that makes me happy. Sarah Jones plays Rebecca Madsen, a fiery, blonde haired, blue eyed detective. I love her character so far. Jorge Garcia plays Diego Soto, a comic book loving historian. I can appreciate the duality of his character's smarts with his love for comic books and video games.

Of course the big questions of HOW these inmates have not aged in 40 years, WHERE they've been for 40 years and WHY they're returning now are all left to be answered. I'm really hoping these questions get answered throughout the season. Right now, I'm fine with not knowing, as things are just getting started. There seems to be a hint that maybe some medical experimentation was going on in Alcatraz. I don't need to know the answers to those questions right now, but I'll be sad if at the end of the season I feel like I did with Persons Unknown or The Killing, where no answers had been given, just more questions!

I give the pilot 2 thumbs up, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes!

Blogger Spotlight Series: Angela of "Lariats and Lavender"

This is the second installment in my Blogger Spotlight Series. This time I have the pleasure of introducing you to the lovely Angie of Lariats and Lavender. I subscribe to a lot of different types of blogs. In some cases, I just enjoy reading about other people's lives. I can't remember when I stumbled upon Angie's blog, but since subscribing I've enjoyed reading her about life, clothes, coffee, games (The Sims 3 for the win!), and True Blood paraphernalia lol.She keeps up with a lot of different blog series' which makes her content nicely diverse.

Here is what the lovely Angie had to say about herself and blogging:

How long have you been blogging? 

I've been blogging since 2009, however I "officially" became a blogger in my opinion on January 1st, 2011. So - a little over a year!

What made you start a blog? 

I love meeting new people, making new friends and learning about other states & cities, careers & lifestyles, hobbies & interests - plus, I wanted to get my own voice out there, share who I am, who I love, what I do, what I like, what I don't like, etc.! Basically, I wanted my own little home on the web and that's what I have in Lariats and Lavender!

What was your vision when you first started blogging and how has that changed over time? 

When I first started blogging, I truly didn't think I'd make actual friendships. I thought I'd get a comment here and there, leave comments here and there and... That was all. I read many stories of other bloggers making friends in the community, real true blue friends and I just didn't think that could actually happen... As of right now, I can say some of my best and closest friends are ladies I've met via my blog and theirs! It's amazing!!!

You seem to have a nice blog following, what do you think contributes to that?

I socialize ALL THE TIME. I love chatting with people and I'm definitely a people person - I love sharing, talking, helping others out and generally, I really am just a busy bee on the web. *wink* Because of that, I think a lot of people I follow, follow me back or at least stop by to say hello. I also share my blog on various websites like 20sb.net, Twitter.com, Pinterest.com, Facebook.com... All of those fun little places! I have loads of fun with my blog and I know you get what you give! So I give a lot to my blog - my design, my posts, my little series', etc.

What advice do you have for the aspiring blogger?

Be yourself! Seriously, I slipped into "trying to please others" when I first started blogging and I didn't enjoy my blog one bit - on top of that, I didn't please *anyone*. When I was trying to act like someone I was not, I didn't have many commenters or followers, nor did I make any friends that way. Once I started being Angie, and didn't care what anyone else thought, that's when my blog really picked up and when I started truly enjoying myself. We are all special and unique individuals, no matter our age, gender, hobbies, lifestyle, religion, career or what have you! So be yourself and ROCK IT!

Married bloggers either constantly post pictures of their significant others or never post pictures of them. What influences your decision about how much or little to share of your wife?

I really go by what she is comfortable with! She's really a HUGE part of my blog: she helped me choose my name, I ask her advice on my web design, I run little series' past her and almost everyone who I've befriended is a common name in our house! Plus she supports my blog 100%, which is super sweet. She doesn't really mind what I share, except for pictures because she is extremely camera shy! I have one picture of her on my blog right now and it's one we both LOVE.

Where on the internet outside of your blog can you be found?

Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Polyvore