Facebook’s New App: How Do You Feel about Facebook Messenger?

Screenshot of Facebook Messenger App on Android

My Post to Facebook on Facebook Today:

HEY Facebook!!! I went ahead and downloaded ur Facebook Messenger for Android, something most people are refusing to do. So, now I have to deal with all these #FriendRequests from random strangers in foreign countries sending me FB msgs??? That's some BS. 

They have to have my permission to be my FB friend. But, they don't have to get my permission to send me IMs, which come TO MY PHONE, thanks to your APP??? But, on the site itself, they're PMs USED to go to the "Other" inbox. So, I NEVER heard from them. This is all screwed up and I hate it! 

So, dear Facebook for Android, for the record:

• I do NOT want to meet foreigners online.
• I do NOT want pictures of foreign strangers who want to be my "friends."
• I do NOT want to exchange email addresses with foreigners who would otherwise be sending PMs to my "other" folder.
• And, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I do NOT want foreign strangers' FB messages coming to my phone via your "I don't filter crap no more" app.

I will be blogging this, thank you very much!!!

Facebook Post by Kiesha Rene Joseph
 

Remember these filters that sent those spammer PMs to your "Other" inbox? Well, these filters don't work on Facebook Messenger. So, you get all the spam, scams, smut, filth, crap and money requests that come your way.

How I Feel about Facebook Messenger

#IHateFacebookMessenger

Okay. So, I went for it. For me, there was no point in fighting the inevitable.I downloaded the Facebook Messenger App simply because FB wouldn’t let me read PMs without it.

They're going to force you to switch at some point, if you're a mobile Facebook user.

But, now, I get the same messages over and over from people in foreign lands. They start out just saying hello. Then, it’s the same thing every time. They want you to:

• …email me at this email address 
•  …send me their pictures 
•  …get to know me

#IHateFacebookMessenger

Other than that, I don’t have other complaints right now. That’s irritating me so much I almost want to shut down my Facebook account altogether.

Screenshot of Message Thread in Facebook Messenger

I Hate Facebook Messenger Because...

The bottom line is this...

#IHateFacebookMessenger

Because this doggone new Facebook app is tied to my cell phone, these foreign strangers who are surely scammers of some sort, are essentially sending messages to my phone.

So, I’m getting notifications when these weirdo online scam artists send me PMs that I should NOT be getting because they're NOT my FB friends. My little green light on my S3 should NOT blink for them. IJS!!!

#IHateFacebookMessenger

How do you feel about Facebook Messenger so far? Maybe I’m trippin! Share in the comments.

The Kidnapped Nigerian Girls have been Found

According to a CNNnews report, a top military official says he knows where 276 girls who were kidnapped last month by the Islamic terrorist group, known as Boko Haram, are being held.

Alex Badeh, an air marshal for the Nigerian Military, claims to know whereabouts of the kidnapped Nigerian girls. Image Source: The Burton Wire

The official, who goes by the name Alex Badeh (an Air Chief Marshall), was quoted as saying that nobody should say that the Nigerian Military do not know what they are doing and that they:  

"Can’t kill their girls in the name of trying to get them back. The good news for the parents of the girls is that they know where they are but they just cannot tell them."

This whole story seems to have so many holes in it that one has to wonder how incompetent the Nigerian government is being.

How can 276 girls get kidnapped without anyone doing anything about it?

It is either the Boko Haram are super-fast invisible ninjas who went into the school completely unnoticed and at an alarmingly fast pace gathered all the girls into trucks and took them to some super-secret location where no one else has access to. 

The point I am trying to make is that there has to be some sort of connection between the government and Boko Haram. I know, conspiracy theory alert but looking at the scenario from a logical point of view one has to wonder. 

The missing Nigerian girls were kidnapped from their boarding school and taken away like cattle. Image Source: HueWire

It’s like dangling a mouse in front of a cat and then taking it away. Telling the parents that they know where their children are but they will not go in to rescue them due to the fact that they are ‘pondering’ on whether they "can use force."

Of course force has to be used. This goes without saying. This is a terrorist group that only last year, buried a young girl up to her head and stoned her to death. I don’t think they will simply ‘hand’ the girls over willingly and if the Nigerian army doesn’t see this then I see the future as very grim for these innocent girls. They seem to be doing more harm than good.

First, if the military did not want to divulge all the information, then they should have just kept mum about the whole so called ‘discovery.’ Now they have gone public and if indeed they do know where the girls are, then they just alerted the Boko Haram to the fact and given them time to re-locate. I mean, who is advising these people?

#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

 

I am appalled at this sad story and one can only imagine what those girls have to endure under these savages. I am not one to stir up controversy but the truth has to come out.

I believe some people in high places know a lot more than we think and we need to speak up because the innocent girls being held captive have no voice and we can be that voice, for them.
#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

Want to read more about the missing Nigerian girls? Check out the post entitled #BringBackOurGirls Update: Military Official Claims He Knows Where to Find Missing Nigerian Girls on HueWire right now.

It's Time to Kick Magic Johnson Down from That Pedestal

The world is buzzing about comments made by Don Sterling during his CNN interview with Anderson Cooper. People of color, especially black folks, seem to be mad simply because the words came from the mouth of someone being accused of bigotry. But, when it comes to comments Sterling made about Earvin "Magic" Johnson, specifically, many of them are absolutely true.

Yes, it does hurt to have to admit that this NBA legend is actually hurting urban communities. And, I myself am hurt because he was on such a positive roll for some years. But, the positive things he's done do not make up for the fact that he's sold his soul, his face, his image and his brand to predatory lenders.

Watch the Full CNN Anderson Cooper Interview Don Sterling

 Watch the entire interview at: http://cnn.it/1ncNBXV

 

The Don Sterling Saga Continues… Is Magic Johnson in Bed with Predatory Lenders?

Today, I published an article I spend all of yesterday writing. When I first started my research for the article, I was hoping to find proof the Don Sterling lied about Magic Johnson. But, the more I dug, the more it became obvious that there was even more to the madness than what Sterling said in the Anderson Cooper CNN interview.

Magic Johnson was spokesperson for Rent-A-Center

The fact is: Magic Johnson is indeed in bed with predatory lenders. Not only does he promote them, he actually became one himself. These are four businesses Magic Johnson supports (or has supported), that are known for predatory lending and practices:

1. Washington Mutual was responsible for selling dreams to homebuyers in low-income communities. These homeowners became victims of the foreclosure crisis at some point.
2. Jackson-Hewitt lures people of color into their stores with ploys like “refund anticipation loans” AKA cash advances, on their tax returns. The interest rates were as much as 500%.
3. Remember the Magic Johnson’s Rent-A-Center commercials? Well, RAC triples the prices of furniture and appliances by offering extremely low payments over very long periods of time.
4. The Magic Prepaid MasterCard has some of the most expensive fees ever seen in the prepaid debit card industry. What's the point of this? It certainly doesn't help urban communities.

 

Ol' Don Spoke Some Truth 

Personally, I'm appalled by the fact that a Jewish man can make such judgemental remarks about a black man and get away with it. No, I'm not appalled by the fact that he's Jewish. I'm appalled by the fact that what he said is so close to true.

Now, to be fair, Ol' Don was incorrect when he said that black people don't give back. It's generalized statements like that which keep people calling him a bigot. He was also incorrect when he said Magic has done nothing for "the" black community. We all know that's not quite true. Magic Johnson Enterprises has done it's fair share to bring jobs and business to urban communities.

We can assume President Obama thought Magic Johnson was a good guy when they shook hands on the court that day.  Image Credit: zimbio.com

Magic Johnson Owes Us Answers

However...

All the "programs for HIV/AIDS awareness, programs to decrease high-school dropout rates, UNCF fundraisers" in the world don't make up for selling your soul to predatory lenders. These companies could NOT survive in affluent communities. They can only survive in low-income neighborhoods, because generally speaking, we, the people of color, have no other places to turn for help.

But, that's no excuse for someone many of us look up to, admire and trust to publicly recommend these predatory companies to us. It's time for Magic Johnson to come down from that pedestal speak up on this matter. He owes us at least that much!

Follow Me on Twitter

Wanna read the full article? Check out "Don Sterling Saga Continues… Is Magic Johnson in Bed with Predatory Lenders?"

6 Passive Income Ideas to Help You Make Money Online

What is Passive Income?

Passive income is money you earn even when you’re not actively working. This type of revenue keeps coming in, even when you’re sleep? Generally speaking, there is work involved. However, once the work is complete on a specific passive income project, you can usually just sit back and allowed the revenue to flow.

6 Tips to Create Passive Income for Yourself

Here are six different types of passive income sources, also known as residual income, to help you make more money online:

1. Affiliate Marketing

If there’s a product or service you use regularly that you know your blog audience will love, become an affiliate of that solution. Becoming an affiliate allows you to make commissions from sales generated from your site. Just publish the affiliate link or code, and your work is done.

 

Affiliate Marketing for Beginners - A No-Nonsense Guide on How to Make Money Online

Affiliate Program Management: An Hour a Day

2. Pay-Per-Click Ads

When you allow pay-per-click ads to be shown on your blog, you get paid each time someone clicks on the ads. Even if they don’t actually buy anything, you still get paid. Now, how’s that for passive income?

Ultimate Guide to Pay-Per-Click Advertising (Ultimate Series)

3. Selling Ad Space on Your Site

Have a website or blog that gets some pretty good traffic? Other businesses will be willing to pay you to place their ads on your site to take advantage of that traffic. You know how TV commercials are priced depending on the popularity of the shows before, during and after the ads? Well, you can price your ads based on the popularity of your site, as well.

AdWords Secrets Revealed: The Complete Guide To Google AdWords Pay Per Click and PPC Marketing (Internet Marketing System)

4. E-book Publishing

As an eBook editor, author and publisher, this is one of my favorite forms of residual income. The more I publish eBooks, the more passive income I earn over time. Not a writer? You can still become a successful eBook publisher.

Want to learn How to Publish eBooks from someone who’s made millions doing self-publishing?

Check out Ty Cohen presents… Kindle Cash Flow 2.0 today!

5. Teach a Webinar Course

If you’re an industry leader, others within your field want to learn from you. Why not give them what they want, and charge for it? Create a webinar course teaching others about valuable things to know in your industry. Then, sell access to the live webinar, as well as taped versions of the webinar course. If what you have to teach is valuable to your market, the course will sell itself over and over again, for years to come.

Instructional Design for ELearning: Essential guide to creating successful eLearning courses

6. Premium Membership Sites

Have access to industry secrets and information too lucrative to give away? Then, sell access to it instead. Turn your website into an exclusive membership site. Give paid members access to premium content, such as webinars, whitepapers, as well as communities and forums for networking with other industry professionals.

Money Making Membership Sites: Getting Started Creating A Cash-Sucking Website

Passive Income is Supplementary Income

I’m not telling you to quit your job or stop putting in hard work to make your business successful. What I’m telling you is that there are things you can do to supplement your income without creating extra work for yourself. Use these six passive income ideas to do just that.

Do you currently have any sources of passive income?

Learn how to make money online with "Online Business Mastery System: Your Ultimate Guide for Starting and Advancing a Successful Online Business" today.

Author Bio

This content was written by Kiesha Joseph, an online public relations manager with Content Marketing Geek. Need high-quality content, off-page and on-page SEO services, articles, press releases or blog posts? Visit Content Marketing Geek to get started getting more traffic to your website or blog today.

New FB Page Dedicated in Honor of a Great Mentor within AA, Mr. Leon Chatmon, Jr.

Do you know, love, respect and honor Mr. Leon Chatmon, Jr., a great mentor within the program of Alcoholics Anonymous (Los Angeles, CA)? If so, please LIKE the new Facebook Page created in his honor.

IImage Credit: http://wn.com/leon_chatmon

Published on December 24, 2013 by Dwight Graham CEO Mr.Dee'z Photography Service

My grandfather would have celebrated 48 years of sobriety on April 11, 2014. Instead, his dedication to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous must be demonstrated through those he mentored, fathered, uncled, scolded, cared for and loved within AA.

His physical birthday is just four days away. To honor both of these birthdays, I've created a Facebook page where those who love him, his memory and his legacy can congregate online to give thanks and honor to his spirit.

Unlike his FB profile, this Facebook Page is public and open to any and everyone, as long as your purpose for Liking the page is to honor his memory. More than anything, I would like to extend open invitations to all of his AA family and friends, so that his DNA family members can learn the joys you knew through stories of, for, about and related to him.

Please Like this new PUBLIC FB page created In Honor of Leon Chatmon, Jr. Feel free to engage with others who feel just as passionately as you do about this great man. Invite anyone I may have missed with my invites. This page was created for you and everyone else who wishes to honor his memory: https://www.facebook.com/LeonChatmonJr

Video Credit: Michael Rush

The New KDP Sales Reports Dashboards

Have you checked out the new reports interface on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)? I simply love it!

I used to dread checking my previous month's stats and royalties, especially in public places, because you had to download them. And, to top it off, you had to download an Excel spreadsheet.

I always had multiple issues with this, one being that I can't use an editable spreadsheet as verification of my royalties. With the new KDP sales reports interface, you can take a snapshot of the on-page report, which would be a more reliable source of royalties payments than editable Excel spreadsheets.

Benefits of the New Amazon KDP Sales Reports Interface

Now, KDP has FINALLY upgraded the reports to meet my needs. They have added a feature called the "Sales Dashboard." These are some of the great features of the new sales reports on Amazon KDP:

1. There's an on-page graph that shows your daily sales, at-a-glance.
2. The on-page report now lists royalties earned for that month in each marketplace, at-a-glance.
3. Reports can now be filtered based on marketplaces, titles and time frames, right on the screen.
4. You can view an on-screen graph of paid, borrowed (KOLL) and/or free unit sales for your selected title(s) in your chosen time period. 
5. You can change any of the criteria above, then click on "Generate Report" to download an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will then have two sections: a Royalty Report and an Orders Report.