Recognizing Other Writers

Today, I'd like to start recognizing some of the other great writers on the sites I write for. The two I am starting with first are dear to me personally because they write a lot about something very close to my heart...Heavy Metal! When I first started writing at FullofKnowledge, there were no other writers besides myself who wrote about this kind of music a lot...then along came Sebastian Onciu.

Finally, there was someone else who shared this passion with me! I drank up everything he wrote like I was a sponge, and I still do every chance I get! I find his music reviews to be very insightful. He notices nuances many others often miss.

Even if you aren't into Metal, that's okay, Sebastian Onciu is a very prolific writer. He also writes other types of reviews, social commentaries, articles about the environment, and much much more!

You can also check him out right here on PWG, but he has a large body of work on FoK as well...

http://fullofknowledge.com/author/sebastian-onciu/

I urge you to read it! You won't be sorry you did! There is something there for nearly everyone.

Another very new writer in the field of Metal reviews on FoK is AdamMcAuley. While not as seasoned as Sebastian, he writes some good articles, and seems to have much potential. He writes book and movie reviews as well. You can check Adam out here...

http://fullofknowledge.com/author/adam-mcauley/

Watch for many more reviews of my fellow writers yet to come. Who knows, if you are a writer, you may find yourself in one!

Read more ...

Smoking? Never Again!

A few days ago I was inside a building talking to a friend when he suggested that we take a break and go out for a cigarette. Of course, it was only a joke, because he knew that my answer would be a definite “no, never again!” Therefore, my friend had no other option than to search  for another person willing to share his passion for smoking.
That short conversation reminded me how fast time flies. 4 years ago I wouldn’t have refused such an invitation, but luckily those times are over, so now the only form of smoking I have to deal with is passive smoking, which luckily happens very seldom. Anyway, whenever I meet some old friends and realize that they weren’t able to get rid of this terrible vice, although some of them tried to do it, I feel proud because I realize that I have more determination than them. I don’t judge them and I don’t tell them to stop smoking, because they know better what to do with their lives, but I’m glad I’m not like them anymore.
If you want to know more about what made me quit smoking for good and the exact date when it happened, please check out my article on the one and only FullofKnowledge:

 http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/06/unforgettable-memories-the-day-i-quit-smoking/

 Post ID Tag : 30177

Read more ...

Mainau- a Dream Island

Sunflower at Mainau. Source: my own picture

A few years ago, during a journey I made in several European countries, I had the chance to visit an extraordinary island. Its name is Mainau and it is located in Lake Constance, near the city of Konstanz, close to the border between Germany and Switzerland. In an area where there are many attractions for tourists, Mainau stands out because it’s truly a place like no other.
 As soon as I entered the island I understood why it’s so appreciated by tourists and locals who go there to enjoy its beauty. This patch of land was turned into a piece of paradise by its owners, the Bernadotte family. It is undoubtedly a fantastic site for those who love flowers. I was amazed to find out that there about 500 rose varieties, not to mention other species of flowers, in the parks and gardens which surround its main building, the Castle of the Teutonic Order.
 The castle, which lies in the heart of the island, doesn’t look very impressive. It doesn’t have a complicated architectural design, but I think its beauty lies in its simplicity. I only saw it from outside, but I went inside the church which is situated next to the castle. That short visit gave me a few moments of meditation before continuing my exploration of the island.
Words are sometimes poor to describe the beauty of the gardens around the castle. Thousands of flowers in all sorts of original arrangements can be admired there in a unique display of beauty. The parks also include all kinds of trees, including giant Sequoias, the tallest trees I’ve seen in my life. I was stunned when I looked up at the tree tops and realized how huge they were.
Mainau also allows children to have an unforgettable experience by having fun at Disney Village and Water World, two exciting playgrounds. There are places in which many adults won’t resist the temptation of going back to their childhood days and exploring them for a while. Art lovers can admire the splendid statues which can be found all over the island, so there are wonderful things to do for everyone at Mainau.
For all these reasons I consider that Mainau is an objective which can’t be missed by any traveler who goes to Lake Constance. It looks like a dream island, but it’s real and I hope to see it again one day.

Article originally published at FullofKnowledge on July 2, 2013.

You can see more stunning pictures I've taken at Mainau on my blog:
http://sebaonciu.blogspot.ro/2013/07/mainau-enchanting-island.html#.Uwuhp87iMSV


Post ID Tag: 30177

For all these reasons I consider that Mainau is an objective which can’t be missed by any traveler who goes to Lake Constance. It looks like a dream island, but it’s real and I hope to see it again one day.
You can see a few more pictures taken at Mainau on my blog:
http://sebaonciu.blogspot.ro/2013/07/mainau-enchanting-island.html#.UdKAgKx5ahg

Read more at http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/07/mainau-a-dream-island/#rdY8pkxBPoAhuodH.99

As soon as I entered the island I understood why it’s so appreciated by tourists and locals who go there to enjoy its beauty. This patch of land  was turned into a piece of paradise by its owners, the Bernadotte family. It is undoubtedly a fantastic sight for those who love flowers. I was amazed to find out that there about 500 rose varieties, not to mention other species of flowers, in the parks and gardens which surround its main building, the Castle of the Teutonic Order
Read more at http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/07/mainau-a-dream-island/#rdY8pkxBPoAhuodH.99

A few years ago, during a journey I made into several European countries, I had the chance to visit an extraordinary island. Its name is Mainau and it is located in Lake Constance, near the city of Konstanz, close to the border between Germany and Switzerland. In an area where there are many attractions for tourists, Mainau stands out because it’s truly a place like no other.
Read more at http://fullofknowledge.com/2013/07/mainau-a-dream-island/#rdY8pkxBPoAhuodH.99

Read more ...

UEFA Euro 2016- a Diluted Competition

One of the best competitions in the world of national team soccer after the FIFA World Cup is undoubtedly the European championship. Every four years the elite of the old continent meets in a final tournament full of excitement. However, after the recent changes made by UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, in the structure of the competition, it seems that a place in the final tournament is no longer reserved for the finest national teams in Europe.
To be more concrete, starting with France 2016 the number of teams qualified for the European powerhouses will increase from 16 to 24. What does that mean? Well, it means that almost half the continent will take part in the final tournament, so qualifying for Euro will no longer be a reason of pride for smaller nations. If we exclude a few minnows like Liechtenstein, Andorra, San Marino or the rookies Gibraltar, we can say that more than half of Europe will participate in the final tournament from now on.
Is it a good thing for European soccer? Obviously not, because the value of the final tournament will be significantly diluted and the preliminary stage will be extremely boring. All the favorites will qualify and there will be little room for surprises in the preliminary stage. Just try to imagine a FIFA World Cup, which now has 32 competitors in the final tournament, with 64 or even 96 qualified teams. That would really sound absurd!
If there’s a good thing in the new format of the European championship, that might be the fact that my country, Romania, will finally obtain another qualification after a 8-year drought. I find it hard to believe they cannot qualify under these circumstances, but where is the satisfaction of a great achievement if qualifying is so easy from now on?

I think UEFA’s decision to increase the number of participating teams is not beneficial at all for the thrill and excitement of the competition. 16 teams qualified out of 54 UEFA members  was the ideal number. Now, besides the lack of excitement of the preliminaries, there’s also an inflation of teams of low value in the final tournament. I really think this change is not beneficial for the general interest around this prestigious competition.

Post ID Tag: 30177

Read more ...

It's Time For Me To Give PWG The Attention It Deserves

I have to admit I had a rather slow start here on PWG. Although the news that a new and fresh writing site is ready to take off the world by storm was truly exciting, I didn’t start my new adventure at full speed. I preferred to wait for a while and see the site grow, but I promised myself that I would write my first original PWG post by the end of this week, and here it is. I can finally say that from now on the Preferred Writers Group is officially part of my writing life.
 I can’t deny the fact that I am in a position where I find it hard to make up my mind on where to post a new article, and from now PWG is going to make my choice even harder. It will enter a tough competition with several other sites, and especially with FullofKnowledge and Bubblews. Therefore, whenever a new idea crosses my mind and I start to develop it, I also have the difficult task of choosing where to publish the final product. It will always be hard to decide which site should have priority, but I’m glad there are several options to choose from.

I can see that PWG is growing really fast. It will soon have more than 100 members and the blog’s earnings are also going up fast. Therefore I am eager to be an active contributor to the site’s welfare  by writing, meeting new people and interacting with them. It is basically the beginning of a new and exciting journey into the wonderful realms of knowledge and communication, and why not, it may become my preferred writing and earning site as well.  

At the end of my first original PWG post I want to say hello to all the members of this new and very promising site. I hope we’ll get to know each other better and share our thoughts and impressions as often as possible. Long live PWG! 

Post ID Tag : 30177

Read more ...

Not Available In Your Country- a Frustrating Message

Have you ever wanted to register on a site, full of hope that it might provide you with another earning opportunity, only to be deflated after discovering that the site is not available in your country? I have just gone through this experience a few days ago when I wanted to register on Chat About, a site I had read about and which seemed to me like a new version of Mylot.
 However, I went through a much bigger disappointment several months ago with Slicethepie, a site on which I had been allowed to register and on which users made money by writing short reviews of song from different artists and musical genres.
On that particular site I was about halfway to reaching the payment threshold, which was at about $20 if I remember well, when I received an email informing me that Slicethepie was no longer available to users from my country. It’s easy to understand how upset I was in that case; I had really wasted my time with it by trying to do my best to write positive things about songs I didn’t really like, with a few exceptions.
 Anyway, things like this probably happened to many users from less developed countries, so we have to learn to deal with it and carry on in search of other sites which allow users from all over the world to express themselves, and luckily PWG falls into this category.

I previously published this article at PostAnyArticle on January 11, 2014.

Post ID Tag : 30177

Anyway, things like this probably happened to many users from less developed countries, so we havev to learn to deal with it and carry on in search of other sites which allow users from all over the world to express themselves, and luckily PAA falls into this category.
Read more at http://postanyarticle.com/general/available-country-frustrating-message/#dpSI2ck4FsbIeKWq.99

However, I went through a much bigger disappointment several months ago with Slicethepie, a site on which I had been allowed to register and on which users made money by writing short reviews of song from different artists and musical genres.
Read more at http://postanyarticle.com/general/available-country-frustrating-message/#dpSI2ck4FsbIeKWq.99

Read more ...