Saturday, November 14, 2009

Blogger appreciation day : Mondays blog early

Answer any number of the following three (1 or 2 or all 3 is fine)

1- What is one charity you support? (provide a link if possible and a reason you support that charity)

2- What is one underfollowed blog (other than your own) that you follow? (underfollowed = gets less than 3 comments per post) and share a reason you follow that blog.

3- What is one business site or blog that you suggest looking at? Any reason you suggest visiting is great. It can be your business or any business you suggest taking a look at it.

Optional reading bellow

I will not be posting awards for my blog but I am grateful for the kind emails.

I will be visiting the blogs and sites suggested by everyone that posts here as a way of giving back.

62 comments:

  1. I give blood to the red cross because they like my blood type and they need blood.

    http://www.redcross.org/

    I think all of Tom & Icy's blogs should get more traffic. Tom is very clever.

    http://icysplayground.blogspot.com/

    I don't spend much time on business sites.

    Long Overdue

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  2. I follow this blog http://alliam-aredhead.blogspot.com/ for the same reason I now follow yours it reminded me each time I visit how a passion for life well expressed can inspire others. Thanks for sharing, all the very best and a lovely weekend.

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  3. Just wanted to stop by and thank you for your support for A Directory For Global Medical Advances.

    Will be joining your site, as we all need to be accountable.....

    http://directoryformedicaladvances.blogspot.com/

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  4. I volunteer at Next Door Solutions, an organization for victims of domestic violence. I am part of the legal team that assists the victims in filing for divorce.

    My friend Ashleigh has a blog that is undervisted

    http://sweetangelash.blogspot.com/

    I go there and comment because she is my friend.

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  5. I like to read the blog http://www.iheartstrangers.com/2009_11_01_archive.html
    It's a project that the photographer is working on where he goes out every day and interviews a random stranger off the street and takes a picture of them to go with the bio. I'm inlove with the idea that he gets to meet a new person everyday and gains an insight into lives that would normally have just passed him by.

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  6. I raise money for the P.D.S.A by selling raffle tickets. I manage to sell them to lots of people who don't really want to buy them. Everyone should support at least one charity. Thanks for the chance to tell you about this.http://www.pdsa.org.uk/index.html.

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  7. Hi there. Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog and allowing me to follow you here.

    Regarding your question above:
    My husband runs the local food bank; the two of us pick up fresh veggies at the local farms, drive three hours each week to pick up groceries at the distribution center, and organize volunteers for packaging and distribution. Since this is his thing, I do my support bid, but nothing else.

    What I do on my own is fundraising and volunteering for our local SMART program, and am also a school board member. This last position is an elected position, but totally volunteer.

    We are busy with lots of other things in town. Charities per se need way more money and resources than they get, especially these days.

    I will have to get back on the underappreciated blogs I follow. There are quite a few.

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  8. Tom I love coming here and seeing your questions.

    Tom, I am Canadian and I so hope Obama keeps his word too. I wish he would try Cheney and Bush though.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  9. My favorite charity is Defenders of Wildlife. I support them because I am devoted to the protection of our large carnivores that are rapidly disappearing.

    One of my favorite blogs to follow is Mud Maps. I enjoy reading about her ranch life in Australia.

    My favorite business site is Blogger Buzz. I find out a lot of great blogging tips there.

    Cheers!
    Julie
    Julie Magers Soulen Photography
    Blog of Note

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  10. As a Canadian fighting cancer my choice of charity is obvious: http://www.cancer.ca/Ontario.aspx?sc_lang=en

    My friend Fairweather has just started a blog here at blogspot and has yet to be found my many people. You can discover her here: http://redmudinn.blogspot.com/

    A former neighbour, now a resident of Germany, runs one of my faviourite business sites. Get ready for Christmas shopping here: http://compositions-by-stregata.blogspot.com/

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  11. Thank you Tom for the kind comment on my blog. I love the idea of your blog and this post, being accountable.

    I actually strongly support one mentioned in an earlier comment by Messa, http://www.redcross.org. I once needed 18 units of blood and without it I wouldn't be here raising my children. So it means more then I can say.

    An under-appreciated blog, http://whatnotshop.blogspot.com/
    I follow this blog because the owner of it is a friend and a wonderful person.

    I don't really have a business one to suggest.

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  12. I volunteer at a school once a week to help a little boy read and to spend time with him. It makes such a difference to both of us and is a great program for schools.

    www.svp.org.au

    Thanks for popping over....it's never fun falling off a horse of any size.

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  13. Hi Tom! Thanks for visiting my blog! With my quilt guild I make quilts and tiny hats for the neonatal nursery. A blog I read that I think deserves to have a much larger following is "Crumbs From The Corner." Very clever and beautiful writing......Same with Riseoutofme. She's my sister, but I would read her anyway, for the same reasons I read "Crumbs."

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  14. Hi Tom--thanks for visiting my blog--

    As my mom's fulltime caretaker, I have little disposable income, but I try to send a little each month to St. Jude's (http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f2bfab46cb118010VgnVCM1000000e2015acRCRD). I have a healthy nephew and two nieces, and I donate because I'm thankful for them and want to help kids who aren't.

    A blog I'm really fond of that's just starting out here on Blogger is that of my friend Moonstone (http://lookingupatthemoon.blogspot.com). She blogs about art and nature and illustrates many of her posts with her own photos.

    I don't visit business blogs regularly, though.

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  15. Hey Tom - great questions!
    One charity I support is Grassroots International who support human rights and fight hunger through sustainable agriculture - all issues that are important to me. I enjoy Simple Home Living - especially the pictures of Lylah's beautiful garden. My favorite business blog is the business section of Grist.

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  16. i always, always, always give to the local spca...

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  17. WaterAid - because there is nothing more fundamental to hman existence than clean water.

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  18. Wow! I would never have discovered your blog by accident but now I'm really glad I know of it. I haven't yet read the comments on staying true to our words but I do have a strong opinion on that matter.
    1. The one thing I do regularly is donate blood and where I live, we often have medical charities that you can donate to by calling a number, usually during a live concert/happening. I always give to those.
    2. One blog I discovered lately and like very much is about perfume (which is one of my loves):
    www.leftcoastnose.com/
    3. No suggestions regarding business blogs.
    Things one reads and follows in life do not have to always be serious.

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  19. I don't know why but I feel like I'm revealing an amazing secret. This is by far my favorite blog and it's very under read. Actually, here are 2 both are so funny

    http://lifemoreexciting.blogspot.com/

    and

    http://www.raisingcolorado.com/

    PS
    Thanks for commenting on my guest post on SFTC! I'm following now :-)

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  20. Whenever I can, I like to support the Canadian born charity "Sleeping Children Around the World" (SCAW)

    http://www.scaw.org/about/index.html

    They provide bed kits to children of underdeveloped and developing countries. They are non-profit, and work by donations and volunteers.. nobody on staff earns a penny of your donation - 100% of every monetary donation goes to a child in need. They've done incredible work.

    As for #2 and #3, I list links to blog posts which I deem particularly good once a week on my own blog. Posts of the Week are usually published on Wednesdays.

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  21. Here is a blog you might like:

    http://www.artistjeffhanson.blogspot.com/

    This kid battled an optic nerve tumor a few years ago and while recovering, he began to paint. Well, he's brilliant and has become extremely successful. He has donated a lot of his earnings (thousands of dollars) to various charities. It's an incredible story.

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  22. I'll go with question #2...

    2- What is one under followed blog (other than your own) that you follow? (under followed = gets less than 3 comments per post) and share a reason you follow that blog.

    The blog http://wingswax.blogspot.com/ mixes art, deep insightful thinking and the human condition in wonderful ways.

    Blessings...

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  23. Hi Tom,
    You are doing a great job! Your blog is very professional. I will talk with you very soon.
    Sincerely,
    Dr. Bob Moulas

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  24. Hi Tom!
    First thanks for visiting my blog!

    For your questions...
    I am a supporter of the Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego (www.feralcat.com/)
    They have helped me greatly when my Osiris (cat I rescued 9 years ago) was attacked by a coyote. The Feral support and donations kept my Osiris alive, so now I donate to their cause any time I can.

    Nibbles,

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  25. Hi Tom, Thanks so much for your comment on my underfollowed blog! It was great to hear from you and discover your blog.

    I support the domestic violence shelter in my community. I love that they provide not only shelter, food and safety but an environment that helps the residents shift from being a victim to being responsible decision makers in their lives.

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  26. Good questions...
    Toys for Tots
    Gotta think about the others.

    Aloha, Friend!


    Comfort Spiral

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  27. Hi Tom,
    This is an interesting blog. I like what you are trying to do (and it looks like you're doing an awesome job at networking!)

    We donate to our college's international student scholarship funds. My brother-in-law came from Ecuador to the U.S. to go to college and he never could have made it without scholarships.

    Half of the blogs I follow are under appreciated so it's hard to choose just one. I mostly follow blogs of other writers because I like to network and support people who are trying to follow their dreams.

    I haven't given you any links so here's one http://blog.nathanbransford.com/. Nathan blogs about how publishing works.

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  28. Great Blog,
    Thanks for stopping by mine:) I volunteer for the American Heart Association- and donate what I can, it's near and dear to my heart, literally, since I've benefited from it personally.

    There are a lot of blogs I follow that are underfollowed as well.

    I'm not sure of a business blog. I'll second Natalie's recommendation of Nathan Bransford's blog!

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  29. Thanks for visiting my blog.

    I read lots of blogs and I list them on my site. My favorite is my husband's. Emancipation of the Freed.blogspot.com

    My favorite charity is the cancer society. It's close to my heart.

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  30. Guiding Eyes, which trains dogs for The Blind and helps people who are Blind to hook up with a dog....A WONDERFUL Organization. I don't know their Website. They mail me stuff.
    I don't go to any Business Blogs....And off hand, I cannot think of a blog I go to that only has two comments.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting! I appreciate it bery much!

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  31. Thanks for stopping by, and interesting blog! One of my favorites is the Tutwiler Clinic in Tutwiler, Mississippi. Fascinating story behind it, check them out.

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  32. thanks for your visit, I appreciate that you enjoyed the photos - I love to share them

    I visit - http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

    one click helps feed homeless animals

    as for #2 - I think -
    http://thedustycellar.blogspot.com
    is a wonderful blog
    rebecca hosts 'mid week blues' photo project and I wish more people participated

    I don't visit many business sites

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  33. #1) CMA (Christan Missionary Alliance) We directly support friends who are missionaries overseas and have no other source of income there.
    Also The Catholic Action Homeless Shelter: Serving meals on Sunday mornings before church to those who need a helping hand! :)
    #2) http://claudestakesonlife.blogspot.com/
    He is hilarious

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  34. What a great set of questions, and what a wonderful purpose in the blog!

    1. I support a lot of charities (more with time and gifts than money, which I don't have much of) but Holy Family Special School is very close to my heart; both my autistic kids went there and LOVED it, and were able to move on to mainstream school thanks to the hard work and loving patience of their teachers. The staff are angels, no less, but funding gets scarcer and scarcer.

    2. My best friend Elizabeth's blog is my favourite. She's a teacher with great insights and wisdom but not a whole lot of time for blogging, which is a shame. I love what she writes.

    3. One of my favourite blogs is the Frog Blog, which is a science blog for school students here in Ireland. I wish there were more efforts made to get kids turned onto science and curious about everything this world offers--they're always sharing amazing news and interesting things.

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  35. i support a little animal shelter where we adopted our lab from. i can't give much but any little bit helps

    hmmm a little blog would me our daze in the arizona desert just found her and i think she is great

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  36. Wow, what great suggestions!

    I have long supported the American Red Cross. My family has been rendered temporarily homeless because of natural disasters more than once, and I have friends who would have died had they not received a blood transfusion with blood donated from ARC drives. When we retire, my husband and I both plan to become members of an American Red Cross readiness team that heads to wherever there's a disaster to help where needed. I can't think of a better way to spend my golden years.

    A business site I read daily is the Wall Street Journal's "Laid Off and Looking" blog (http://blogs.wsj.com/laidoff/), which provides valuable advice for those who've lost a job or fears the worst. I sometimes learn as much from the comments as I do from the bloggers.

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  37. I support the Marine Conservation Society:
    http://www.mcsuk.org/
    The oceans and all of our natural world is so strikingly beautiful and important to maintaining a balance for our world's survival - which in itself is reason enough to conserve and protect it.

    http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/ is a blog I follow that I feel to be under rated. It is full of passion and joy and the author seems to have a real lust for life.

    http://www.agentprovocateur.com/
    I have a penchant for ligerie and AP is most certainly one of my favourite producers of fine underwear. As a Web Design student I am always on the look out for new and interesting websites and the AP website design is one the likes of which I would like to aspire towards being able to build/create in the not too distant future.

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  38. I give money to the charities my good friends run/walk/ride/campaign for. If it means enough to them to work for contributions, it's worth it.

    And most blogs I read get less than 3 comments per post. I read my friend's blogs, and none of them are ultra popular, but they share their lives online and I'm there to share it with them

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  39. Hi, I support the National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org/ because it inspires people to protect and enjoy nature.

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  40. I absolutely love Hopeworldwide. They have free medical clinics in India, South Africa, West and East Africa. I was able to work for them overseas so I know their work ethics. They have been around for some time and have done amazing work here at home in the US as well. They focus on Children but are not exclusive. They inspire me for how I live my life. www.hopeww.org

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  41. As others have said, thanks for visiting my small blog!

    The most recent charity I am supporting is for cystic fibrosis. A community quilt is being made where each person contributes a square to the quilt which will then be auctioned for the charity. I don't know anyone with CF but it is a great cause and something I can help with http://whipup.net/2009/11/13/65-roses-quilt-for-charity/

    I'm new to blogging and haven't found any underappreciated blogs yet, so I will look at some of the ones others have posted.

    A fantastic business is Together Press, a small (new) printing company that is carbon offset (they are actually carbon neutral but the fee to legally claim that is too large for them to currently afford). The founder is an author and couldn't find a suitable 'green' publisher so she created the business herself http://www.togetherpress.com/

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  42. Thank you for your kind comment on my blog Tom!

    The organization that I currently volunteer for and support the most is the Cub Scouts http://www.scouting.org/ prior to this I was a Girl Scout leader http://www.girlscouts.org/
    I feel they are both great programs for helping kids gain character & become responsible citizens.

    An underappreciated blog I visit frequently belongs to my friend Chris who is an aspiring Photographer (make sure to check out his gallery) http://www.photography139.com/index_files/2009/11/old-newspaper.html

    I don't really read business blogs, although I do frequently browse the smart spending articles on www.mainstreet.com

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  43. I support the fight to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. 90 cents of every dollar goes towards finding a cure...I want to believe it's right around the corner.

    I've recently discovered http://thenerdynomad.blogspot.com/...a lovely writer who teaches in Kuwait. She disappeared for a while and it turns out she had the swine flu...poor thing. She's good.

    I also don't hit the business blogs...when I'm not doing this, I'm actually trying to work!
    Great post! And thanks for the kind comment at my place. I appreciate it.

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  44. Hi Tom. Sorry I did not know where to place this comment. I had this idea at work that you should probably have a 100 party, as you are rapidly approaching 100 followers. Maybe we can all be on at a certain time or something to celebrate with you. At this rate I predict in about 2 weeks to 3 weeks. Or maybe post some pearls of wisdom on this monumental occasion. I am very exciting for you :)

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  45. A charity that I support is Three Rivers Area Mentoring, which matches a student with a volunteer mentor. Three Rivers Area Mentoring has an after-school program, “Extra Innings at Derek’s Dugout”, which has a webpage here: http://www.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/tram.jsp. Yes that's Jeter of the New York Yankees. Another is ARF, which provides pet food so that local people in crisis can keep their pets.

    For an underfollowed blog (mostly photos) that is very interesting, http://serrekundadailyphoto.blogspot.com Serrekunda in The Gambia.

    For a business in Three Rivers, MI, http://www.trriviera.com - a spectacularly restored 1920s movie palace. Or Lowry's Books, an awesome independent bookstore with "18,000 new books, over 110,000 used and rare books". Indy bookstores are a vanishing breed!

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  46. What a fabulous post...love it! I'm a big supporter of The American Red Cross http://american.redcross.org I'm not sure you would categorize it as a "charity" but it makes a big difference to many and some it means life or death.

    I'm off now to check out your commenter’s links, have a great day!

    I'm also a supporter of Goodwill with many junkin trips!

    Thanks for the visit and lovely comment!


    Love and hugs,
    Karyn

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  47. Thank you for the sharing here. I am going to be busy visiting all of these sites and blogs.

    Kindest regards

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  48. My daughter died from liver cancer on 10/1/09. Make a Wish foundaton made such a difference in her life and our life that I decided to volunteer for them to help raise money so other kids could enjoy a few moments of joy and forget their life threatening illness temporarily. Her two blogs caringbridge.org/visit/emmaleehavertz love4emmalee.blogspot.com Make a Wish wish.org

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  49. Steve, thank you for sharing.

    Stories like that are a big part of the reason I blog. Thank you for the thoughtful email that you sent to me.


    Kindest regards and again I am deeply sorry for your loss.

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  50. My favorite charity is Operation Smile.

    Interesting blog here.

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  51. First just want to compliment you on your positive outlook and for commenting on my blog. Next, I'd like to provide a link to a charity close to my heart:
    http://www.barefootsisterhood.com
    The founder is someone close to me. She has suffered with bouts of skin cancer and is doing whatever possible to help others with that (which you'll see on the site). But, in addition to that, she helps others in numerous other ways too.

    P.S. If you had not read my other posts in that blog, hope you'll check them out; and maybe follow my blog too, as I'll be posting more all the time.

    Have a wonderful day!

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  52. I volunteer for Communities in Schools. Love to teach and this program allows me to help make sure kids don't get lost in the shuffle in their academic life.

    Also, thank you so much for commenting on my barely followed blog. Most of the posts were for school, but I hope to keep up with it now that the assignment is over :)

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  53. I support Run 2 Inspire - a local non-profit that raises awareness for HPV and Cervical Cancer. I hold an admin position for them and am so proud to be able to share in raising awareness for a disease that struck one of my closest friends (http://www.run2inspire.com


    I follow "this life of mine" (www.thislifeofmine.net) because she's a friend of mine who has unwavering insight into the world. I find her balance of humor and insight to be very enjoyable.

    I recommend visiting Twenty Something Bloggers (www.20sb.net) simply because it is a community of bloggers who are clearly in their twenties. It's one of the most welcoming and talented groups of people I've ever encountered.

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  54. Tom thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog ThisLifeThrutheLens

    While I don't read the blogs everyday, I do try to stop by and catch up with those I follow at least weekly. One site I follow is NikonPrincess

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  55. I support the Canadian Red Cross and volunteer with them regularly. After the last few international disasters I couldn't stand just sitting in front of the TV watching any more. I wanted to actively help.

    An undervisited blog would be: http://chroniclesofacroydonboy.blogspot.com/

    Another blog well attended but worth the read is: http://anexplorers.blogspot.com/

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  56. Charity I support: Periwinkle Foundation (http://www.periwinklefoundation.org). They help nurture the emotional health of children with cancer and have recently developed programs surrounding families and long-term survivors as well.

    http://www.martinisordiapergenies.com
    Amanda is hilarious. Seriously funny.

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  57. Christina at "Too Pretty For This" is under-followed.

    I adore her as a person and a blogger.

    http://iamtooprettyforthis.blogspot.com/

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  58. A good blog Tom. I support "supportrahi.com, southasiannetwork.org, satrang.org"

    I think http://beenishsaharkhan.blogspot.com/ blog needs more visits, I like her blog as she not just write well but also talk very truthfully about issues around her in her country.

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    www.onlineuniversalwork.com

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    www.onlineuniversalwork.com

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