http://www.untwistedvortex.com Living in a Different Land | An American Living in the Philippines Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:38:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Unless you're a Filipino or have close ties to Filipinos, you probably don't have a clue what I'm talking about when I mention anything about a balikbayan box. The word "balikbayan" is actually a combination word coined in the 1970s. "Balik" means to go back and "bayan" means home ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/09/02/balikbayan-boxes-and-shipping-freight-to-the-philippines/ There are a few ways to save money and make cheap calls to and from the Philippines. Using the long distance service provided by your regular residential telephone service may be convenient, but it isn't the cheapest route to take even if you manage to get a "preferred country" ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/09/01/cheap-calls-to-and-from-the-philippines/ While I was writing my previous two articles, I noticed I had an uninvited guest in my house. Perhaps he or she is welcome, but it's impossible to determine that when I can't see him or her. You could say that I'm seeing things out of the corner of my ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/27/an-uninvited-guest/ The Stevo once braved the frozen tundra of northern Canada as a reporter and photographer. He now calls southern China home and enjoys the humid clime more than the bone-numbing cold of his native land. He misses little of North America: Riding in the back of a Canadian air force ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/27/about-people-steve-and-asian-ramblings/ This is a Blogger (blogspot.com) blog masquerading as a non-Blogger blog. It's not a bad thing, I assure you. What is "Syndicated Elitist v2.0" all about? Without an "about" page to refer to, I was left with the first post in November of 2007 to look at. According to Benjamin, Syndicated Elitist ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/27/blog-review-syndicated-elitist-v20/ My wife (Josie) missed her connection to her Philippine Airlines flight at LAX but because Philippine Airlines has excellent customer service, she was re-booked for the next flight with minimal problems. A Sudden Storm Josie's flight out of Phoenix was supposed to depart at 7:32 pm on the 25th of August ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/26/philippine-airlines-excellent-customer-service/ It's time for a reality check. You can make money online with a blog, but you're probably not going to make a whole lot of money with ONE BLOG. Of course, your definition of "a whole lot" may be different than mine. How to Make $100 Per YEAR with a Blog Back ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/25/how-to-make-money-online-with-a-blog/ You can find many kinds of cell phones in the Philippines, but I can't tell you what's used where, other than what I've seen here in Olongapo City. I can't tell you exactly what's used in Manila, although I've heard they support the Apple iPhones there along with every ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/23/cell-phones-in-the-philippines/ Bonnie is the Owner/President of DataPlus, which has been in operation since 1992. DataPlus is a small and successful data processing company located in Georgia and Bonnie hires contractors for "work at home" typing from time to time. She actually started the business more than 20 years ago in order to ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/20/about-people-bonnie-hicks-and-dataplus/ A blog containing news, tips, hints, ideas and freebies for people building websites or blogs (stolen from the tagline). What is "laptopmanpaul.co.uk" all about? It's a blog that oriented towards information technology of all kinds. It's actually an "off-shoot" of webcumbria.co.uk, the main portal for all of his personal websites and his ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/20/blog-review-laptopmanpaulcouk/ My wife (Josie) will be arriving for a month-long Philippines vacation on the 27th of August, her birthday. After she returns to the US, the plan is to stay no longer than six months. Her next arrival in the Philippines should be permanent. Our Reliance on DSL One of the problems ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/19/my-wifes-philippines-vacation/ Paul LaMach operates the LaMach Web Site Design service and is an SEO consultant. He doesn't say much about himself and the only thing I could find in writing was something like "This Web Design BLOG is owned and operated by LaMach Web Design. I think you will find we ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/18/about-people-paul-lamach-and-lamach-web-site-design/ In part one of "The UV SEO Series", I introduced the series. In part two, I wrote about having one website address. In part three, I wrote about internal linking strategies. In part four, I emphasized meta descriptions and meta tags. In part five, I introduced keywords, keyword ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/17/the-uv-seo-series-part-seven/ This is a blog about a former Californian who moved from the mainland US to the state of Hawaii in the US. What is "The Hawaiian Life" all about? It's a purely personal blog. I browsed the archives and I must say that "King Jeremy III" hasn't been as active with it ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/16/blog-review-the-hawaiian-life/ Who is he? Just a regular guy who HATES his job! Do you like punching in at work everyday? Do you like being reviewed by your manager who doesn’t really know what you do? Do you wish you could get up every morning and do what you WANT to do ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/14/about-people-day-job-nuker/ In part one of "The UV SEO Series", I introduced the series. In part two, I wrote about having one website address. In part three, I wrote about internal linking strategies. In part four, I emphasized meta descriptions and meta tags. In part five, I introduced keywords, keyword ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/14/the-uv-seo-series-part-six/ After Costa suffered tremendously with Blog Templates Reviews before revamping it, he decided to create this blog and I thought I'd help him out in getting it seen while the paint is still fresh (less than a month old). What is "EightBiz" all about? If the article titles don't clue you in, ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/14/blog-review-eightbiz/ I'm not sure I can trust a guy that kind of reminds me of Tom Cruise. I'm just joking of course, but there is a small resemblance. What is "Real Estate Investing Secrets" all about? The title is the key, but it's much more than that. The blog emphasize the things you ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/14/blog-review-real-estate-investing-secrets/ My younger son (Jon) is going to a nursing school at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City, Philippines. He's in his third year with about a year and a half to go. I don't know what the degree is actually called, but he'll have a bachelor's degree ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/13/nursing-school-philippines-necessary-equipment/ In part one of "The UV SEO Series", I introduced the series. In part two, I wrote about having one website address. In part three, I wrote about internal linking strategies. In part four, I emphasized meta descriptions and meta tags. Today, I'm going to give you some ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/12/the-uv-seo-series-part-five/ Kris Stone (aka AgentSully) sent me a preview edition of the "Secrets to a Healthy Life" eBook more than a month ago. I receive so much email that it got buried rather quickly and you know the old saying: Out of sight, out of mind. I simply forgot about ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/12/ebook-review-secrets-to-a-healthy-life/ What is "A Darker View" all about? Andrew is an engineer (although he doesn't say what kind of engineer) and an amateur astronomer living in Hawaii. The blog contains his many ramblings about exploring the big island (the island of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii), diving, and astronomy. Site Design This is ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/12/blog-review-a-darker-view/ In part one of "The UV SEO Series", I introduced the series. In part two, I wrote about having one website address. In part three, I wrote about internal linking strategies. Today, I'm going to emphasize meta descriptions and meta tags. What the Search Engines Index Google, the 1000-pound gorilla in ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/08/the-uv-seo-series-part-four/ My wife and I decided on building our house in the Philippines after our arrival in April of 2006. It wasn't an instant decision and there were a lot of factors involved. The best way to explain everything is to allow you to follow along as I describe everything that ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/08/philippine-house-building/ In part one of "The UV SEO Series", I introduced the series and didn't get into anything specific. In part two, I wrote about having one website address. I'm continuing on track with the onsite SEO portion with part three, internal linking strategies. It's another article that's longer than ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/07/the-uv-seo-series-part-three/ What is "adamwhiles dot com" all about? This is a tech-oriented blog which focuses on computer hardware and software. Adam Whiles is an average guy who likes to mess around with computers and play on the Internet. He likes to build computers and design websites from his home in Franklin, Kentucky. Site ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/07/blog-review-adamwhiles-dot-com/ It's surprising to see Filipinos wanting to eat chicken and rice more often than fish and rice, considering we're surrounded by the China Sea. Nevertheless, I see fast-food places and restaurants serving chicken more than any other food items here in Olongapo City, Philippines. I like chicken too! Of course I ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/06/for-the-love-of-chicken-and-rice/ In part one of "The UV SEO Series", I introduced the series and didn't get into anything specific. This is part two and the beginning of the onsite SEO portion of the series. It's longer than I anticipated so please, take your time. One Website Address How many ways can someone ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/05/the-uv-seo-series-part-two/ There's a reason I chose to build up my legion of Noble UV Minions the way I decided to do it (See "How to Become a Noble UV Minion and Like it".). I don't like repeating myself. I don't want to send out a separate email message, even if ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/05/noble-uv-minions-link-list-2/ Before I begin, I'll tell you up front that I'm not a search engine optimization (SEO) expert of any kind. I've tested everything I'll be telling you to do and I've spent more than six months experimenting to find out what works and what doesn't. My blog now ranks ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/04/the-uv-seo-series-part-one/ I was invited to try out Ask2link a few days ago. It's a new banner and text link ad service. After and I signed up and discovered the text link ads were not "nofollow", I exchanged email messages with one of the representatives. When I told her that I couldn't use ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/04/ask2link-sell-the-unused-space-on-your-site/ I'm not sure if this is a multi-author blog or the author has multiple personalities. Your guess is as good as mine. What is the "Amateur Brain Surgery" all about? Other than amateur brain surgery, I really can't tell you what it's about. There are articles about all kinds of things from ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/04/blog-review-amateur-brain-surgery/ After receiving a Google Alert with my domain name on it (for link:www.untwistedvortex.com), I found a website that had scraped 40 of my articles from my full feed, in their entirety, and put them up exactly as retrieved. The website in question, elanso.com, is based in China so it's not ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/02/one-bad-scraper-foiled-success-with-google/ My good friend, Hari (who is not a Noble UV Minion, but still a loyal daily reader), is an accomplished web comic artist. Boxi and Panjo is one of his best creations. I thoroughly enjoy seeing each and every one he publishes and stop by his blog, "Hari's Corner", several ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/01/boxi-and-panjo-an-awesome-g-rated-web-comic/ As an American living in the Philippines and drawing a military pension from the US, I'm obviously concerned about how to get my hands on my money every month. There are several ways to do it, but I'll tell you how I've been banking in the Philippines with ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/08/01/banking-philippines-us-dollars/ I'm surprised that more people haven't taken me up on my offer. (The original offer still stands and will continue to stand. See "How to Become a Noble UV Minion and Like it".). I have more blog review requests coming out of my yin-yang than I can handle, but ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/31/noble-uv-minions-link-list-1/ This is the second blog that I'm reviewing for Rome Uy, the first being "For Newbies Trying to Make Money Online" back in December of 2007. So... what is "Rome Uy dot com" all about? Since Rome's "about" page contains only "This will contain my about page :) Will be making one ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/31/blog-review-rome-uy-dot-com/ I have no idea how I came across this little piece of information, but the word "U.S." with periods is rarely ever searched for. I checked my blog and I used it like that more than a thousand times. Over the past several hours, I've been changing it to "US" ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/30/seo-little-things-like-us-h1-can-make-difference/ I'm working on a programming project as the sole developer of a browser-based software application. I've dubbed it "PHPText Blogger" as a working name because it's only using PHP and text files formatted specifically for this application. In order to use this browser-based application on Windows or Linux, I only need ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/29/phptext-blogger-pre-alpha-software-notes/ This is a specialty website with a blog added to it. A great site! What is the "SmartCine" all about? SmartCine is a movie site with user movie reviews, DVD release schedules, top movies and a blog. It's in a beta stage, so there are a few things missing as you navigate ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/28/website-review-smartcine/ You don't have to look like the image to your left in order to be a minion. Minion is a term for favorites or protégés, especially those of a monarch or prince at a royal court. Unlike a henchman or lackey, although of subordinate rank to his patron a ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/26/how-to-become-a-noble-uv-minion-and-like-it/ There are some nice Philippines hotels and resorts in the Olongapo City and Subic Bay (adjacent to Olongapo City) areas and there are some that are not so nice. Other than the Philippines hotel and resort offerings at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, I can't tell you which are ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/25/philippines-hotel-resort-offerings-olongapo-city-subic-bay/ What is "Metallman's Reverie" all about? In his own words, Metallman's Reverie is "generally about whatever comes to mind and is pretty random". It's a personal blog. Site Design I really can't get into the template design. It's one of Blogger's standard templates. This is a purely social blog and you can ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/24/blog-review-metallmans-reverie/ I'm not well. No, I'm not mentally ill, so get that thought out of your head right now. It hurts to look at the computer screen. It could be caused by the sudden rise in the local temperature or I could be allergic to something. Your guess is as good ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/22/one-on-one/ As a website owner, you should be worried when someone scrapes all or part of the content of one of your pages. If you're not familiar with it, the Copyscape service is one way to find them and start the elimination process. There is a procedure, which you can do ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/20/defeating-bad-scrapers-free-easy-way/ WordPress 2.6 introduced an annoying feature called "Post Revisions", which saves each revision of every post when you edit it (after publishing). Since I practice link clustering, you can imagine how many post revisions are sitting in my database right now. Lester Chan (aka GamerZ) published the solution with "How ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/18/turn-off-wordpress-post-revisions/ Online referrals from other websites and search engines are the usual ways of getting website traffic. Getting website traffic from offline sources is also possible if you associate with the people who control those sources. The Filipino American Journal An old friend of mine, the owner of TheFilipino.com, contacted me today and ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/17/the-philippines-and-getting-website-traffic-from-offline-sources/ For traveling between the US and the Philippines, nothing beats Philippine Airlines. I've used Philippine Airlines on all occasions except for when I was in the military and when flights weren't available. I'll provide some of my experiences after a brief history lesson. The Beginnings of Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines was ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/17/philippine-airlines-philippines-travel/ What is the purpose of the "Tampa Real Estate News Blog"? The Tampa Real Estate News Blog focuses on real estate (naturally) in the Tampa, Florida area of the US. What the title doesn't say, and it really can't, are the specific areas the news is about. Those specific areas include Clearwater, ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/15/blog-review-tampa-real-estate-news-blog/ The first success story I wrote about involved Arnel Pineda and Journey. The Jollibee Philippines success story goes back much further. In fact, it all started in 1975. The Birth of Jollibee Philippines Tony Tan Caktiong, a Filipino of Chinese descent, and his family opened a Magnolia Ice Cream parlor in ... http://www.untwistedvortex.com/2008/07/14/jollibee-philippines-success-story/