Category Archives: Marketing

Stranger Danger! 10 Lessons Children Learn to Protect You from Fraud

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Stranger Danger! Here are 10 lessons that every child learns that will help protect you from fraud. (This post is my own opinion and is not endorsed by any of my employers, past, present, or future.)

Don’t Answer Unknown Phone Numbers

Children know they shouldn’t open the door to their home for a stranger. Yet, every time you answer the phone for an unknown number, that’s exactly what you are doing. Do not answer unknown phone numbers. If it’s someone you know, they will leave you a message. (Why aren’t they just texting you anyway?)

Hang Up

If for some reason you decide to answer an unknown number and it’s not the call you were expecting, Hang up. Children are taught that if a stranger approaches you, you should run away. On the phone, if a stranger is talking to you, you don’t have to listen. You don’t have to be polite. You don’t have to say anything. Hang up. If it was a real call, the person on the other end won’t be offended because they’ll understand you’re trying to protect yourself from fraud. If it was a fake call, you’ve just saved yourself a whole lot of grief. Those of a certain generation will remember their parents telling them to get off the phone, and we were talking to our friends. It’s even more pertinent now.

Don’t Talk to Strangers

If for some reason, you end up talking to the stranger. Don’t talk to strangers. There’s a whole song about it. Why are you still talking to them? Hang up!

Don’t Go with Strangers

However, there’s a good chance at this point that you’re concerned, worried, anxious, upset, afraid, and possibly angry. Fraudsters are going to push your emotional buttons to keep you on the line, keep you off balance, and keep you from thinking logically. Kids might be coaxed into the van with their desire for treats or to see puppies. Children may also have fear used against them. They know not to go with strangers, but when someone tells them their mom or dad are hurt, they get frightened, and they will believe the stranger.

Don’t go with strangers. Do not let them take you in your van of emotions to the dark web. Hang up, and call a number that you know to be a real number to verify what the fraudster was saying. If it wasn’t a fraudster, you’ll be no worse off. If it was, you’ll be a lot better off.

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

The fraudster has pressed your buttons and told you they’re only trying to help you. Granted, fraudsters probably wouldn’t say “I’m only trying to help you” verbatim because that phrase is a clear red flag. However, if the person on the other end of the phone is trying to be your friend, they aren’t your friend. Friendships take days, weeks, years to build. The person calling you isn’t even an acquaintance. They aren’t trying to help you. And if they mention how bad fraudsters are, chances are they are revealing what they are guilty of themselves. Why would you believe anything a random stranger on the phone says? Don’t believe everything you hear, especially from sources you don’t know and can’t verify.

Don’t Tell Strangers Where You Live

There’s a lot of information about you on the Internet. It’s a lot more than you realize. Even someone with a small digital footprint will likely have been involved in a security breech where their information was leaked to the dark web. Everything from names and addresses to social security numbers and the name of your beloved pets is probably out there. Even if you’ve never used the Internet, it’s highly likely that your information has been digitized by companies you do business with: utilities, phone companies, city and state governments… In short, any company larger than a mom & pop shop (and many of those, too) uses computers, and all of that information is fair game for hackers. A good fraudster will have information about you to give them validity. If they ask you to verify information, do not do so.

We were told as kids, don’t tell strangers where you live because they might go there to kidnap you and/or steal your stuff. You have a lot more information to worry about, and you don’t need to verify any of it to someone that you did not call. (For example, if someone calls and says they are your grandson, don’t say your grandson’s name, ask them which one. Then, hang up and call that grandson, not from the number they just called, but to the number you know.)

Make Some Friends

Go to your local branch and make some friends. They may just be bank friends, but they will be people that you can go to for help when a fraudster calls. You can hang up on that person and call your local banker to find out what’s going on and who you should talk to.

Don’t Believe Everything You See

You may get a text message from your bank asking about the validity of a purchase. If it is not your purchase and you respond “No,” your bank will NOT call you. You will need to call them. If your bank calls you, it is not your bank. It is a fraudster. Even if the phone number is labeled “Your Bank Name,” it is not your bank. Don’t believe everything you see. Fraudsters know how to mask their phone number. Hang up. Call your bank from the number on the back of your card.

Always Tell the Truth

If someone is coaching you on what to tell the banker when you send a wire or take money from an account, they are defrauding you. The minute someone asks you to lie about what you’re doing with your money, is the same minute, you should hang up (if you haven’t already). When your banker is asking you questions about your withdrawal or wire, they are both genuinely interested and trying to protect you. There should be no reason why you have to lie, at the request of someone you don’t know, to your banker. Always tell the truth.

It’s Not Your Fault

This is all very easy for me to say, but when a fraudster has made you emotional, giving you a time limit, and exposed that they have some information about you, it will be hard to admit that you fell for it. Oftentimes, there will be nothing you can do about it. Children, whose parents get divorced are told it’s not your fault. Getting scammed is the same: It’s not your fault. These lowlifes are professional. They are clever, and they know how to use your emotions to short-circuit your reasoning ability. That’s why it’s best to avoid them.

  1. Don’t answer unknown numbers.
  2. Hang up!
  3. Don’t talk to strangers.
  4. Don’t go with strangers.
  5. Don’t believe everything you hear.
  6. Don’t tell strangers where you live or anything else.
  7. Make some friends.
  8. Don’t believe everything you see
  9. Always tell the truth. Lying only makes it worse.
  10. It’s not your fault.

If you take cash out of your account and deposit into an account you’re not a signer on, you will never get that back. If you wire someone money, you will never get it back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Like the ice cream truck you couldn’t catch up with as a kid.

If the FBI, other law enforcement, or the bank’s fraud department is investigating the bank or a banker, they will not recruit you to perform some undercover operative work. They certainly aren’t going to ask you to withdrawal your money to protect it. You don’t get to play cops and robbers in grown-up life with other grown-ups unless you’re involved with some sort of role-play group.

Can you imagine how law enforcement would have to do that for every person who has a bank account in that bank? Bank accounts aren’t branch specific for fraudsters. And creating a run on any bank would be devastating to the economy. It’d be like the panic set of by Jane and Michael in Mary Poppins.

If someone is pressuring you, if they are giving you a time limit, they are creating stress. Not unlike the stress a curfew created when you were young. You’re an adult. You don’t have to come home before the street lights come on anymore. More importantly, you don’t have to get sucked into someone else’s time constraints. Hang up, and if you’re not convinced it was a fraud call, call the number on the back of your card.

I’ve seen people lose thousands of dollars because they trusted someone on their phone more than they trusted the people they bank with. That’s a sad state of affairs. Simply visiting your local branch once a month will help you understand who you can trust. It will also help you enlist another person willing to protect you and your money. No single person is smart enough to avoid scammers, but a team of people will beat scammers every time, as long as you’re willing to listen to the professionals.

Getting scammed sucks! I don’t want to see anyone else get scammed. You work hard for your money. You shouldn’t have to lose it to a fraudster. If you have any questions, please listen to the small voice trying to be heard over the emotional turmoil. Don’t give information to anyone you haven’t called.

The Romance Scam and Why Banks Are Powerless to Stop It

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(The opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone. They do not reflect the beliefs of any employer that I may have had in the past, present, or future.) An elderly client with medical conditions came into a bank, looking to send a wire. Her fiancé, a Lt. General in the Army, based in Syria, needed money for food. The wire would be sent to a bank in New Jersey and end up in an account with Coinbase in San Francisco. It would be withdrawn by the Lt. General’s commanding officer, who would deliver it to the Lt. General. This is 100% a scam. But how can you recognize the scam?

Job Warning Flags

Even if this is all the information you have, there are several warning flags. The first one starts with the job. Why would a Lt. General in the Army, who likely brings in $18,000 a month or more, need money sent to him? Especially when the amount is so much smaller than what he makes? Why would this Lt. General need to buy food with those funds? I am decently certain that the Army is aware of the adage that “an army marches on its stomach.” Canned food was invented so Napoleon could conquer Europe. Food is an essential part of any military operation.

Location Warning Flags

This scam involves four far flung locations: the state of the victim, New Jersey, California, and Syria. In many bank transactions, three is already considered too many. By itself, this might not indicate a scam, but it makes it more likely that a scam is taking place when other red flags are involved.

Financial Institution Warning Signs

Coinbase is a cryptocurrency bank. Cryptocurrencies are the currency of choice for fraudsters. It doesn’t mean that the bank or the cryptocurrency are involved in the fraud other than as instruments of conveyance. However, cryptocurrencies are not regulated like government backed currencies, which means there are fewer safeguards in place for those who use cryptocurrencies. Why isn’t this wire going to the Lt. General’s own bank account? There are plenty of banks that work with our military people overseas. Clearly, this Lt. General has access to the Internet, so he can do his banking online. I am certain that the military has a way to get cash to its members without having to route a wire through three states and Coinbase.

Relationship Warning Signs

When asked about the relationship, the client said that they met online had known each other for three years, so this was definitely not a scam. It’s important to note that the scammers involved in this type of scam, known as a romance scam, are patient. They will work for months to years to reel in a victim, to gain their trust, and then to get their money. In fact, there is likely more than one person behind the scam, so even if one scammer leaves the organization, another can be there to take their place. Having never met your fiancé in person should be a warning. People on the web are not what they seem, even when they are being honest. Unfortunately, you can never tell who is being honest and who is putting up a front.

Stereotypical Victim Statistics

Anyone can be a victim of a scam. I fell victim to two scams when I was in my 20s. I would have fallen for two more scams in my late 40s if my wife hadn’t warned me. While the elderly are often targeted, don’t think you’re immune. In fact, Pew Research has said that 73% of Americans have experienced an online scam or attack.

IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT

With that being the case, if you ever fall victim to a scam, it’s not your fault. Let me repeat that: IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT. You should understand that scammers are good at their jobs. Even Andy Cohen fell for a scam. Scammers rig the system to put you in a bad position and then they offer you an easy solution. They know how to push your buttons, and they will push them. They prey on the elderly, the lonely, and the uninformed. They use our greatest weaknesses against us. Worse, they use our greatest strengths – our innate belief in the good in people, our ability to trust others, and our hopes for better lives. Scammers are clearly scum and worse. Still, it’s better to avoid a scam then to fall victim to one.

Signs of a Scam

  • Sense of urgency.
  • They’re in a rush.
  • There’s a time limit.
  • They give instructions for you to use when you go to the bank.
  • They tell you to mislead or lie to your bankers.
  • They called you.

For the romance scam, which is mentioned above, the signs will also include, someone asking for money. If you’ve never met the person in real life, you’re involved in a scam, and it doesn’t matter how or when the relationship started.

Of course, the scammer doesn’t have to be a Lt. General in Syria. They could be a waiter in Paris looking to open a café, or Nigerian Prince looking to fly to safety, or a penguin keeper in Antarctica, who needs medicine for sick penguins. The scammer is going to be the person they need to be to get money from you. Even before AI, you couldn’t trust anything on the Internet. It’s 100 times worse now.

And remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Why Don’t Banks Do Something?

There was a story about an 89-year-old Canadian who lost his life savings – $1.7 million in a scam that lasted six months. His family blamed the banks. They said the banks didn’t do enough to prevent the scam. It’s a mistake to say banks don’t do anything. Banks will inform the person that it appears they are being scammed. They will point out the discrepancies, the fallacies, the illogical parts of the scammers’ story. They will say that this is a known scam. But giving information is as far as banks can go.

Banks cannot tell people what to do with their money. Even if the bank is 100% sure that the person sending a wire is being scammed, the bank may still have to send the wire.

Someone comes into the bank to withdraw $2000. They have been watching the Three-Card Monte dealer all morning, and they picked the queen every time when others were playing the game. They were going to bet $2000 and win $6000. Should the bank deny the withdrawal? What if the $2000 was going to be used at the Casino on Native American land?

Should the bank decide to not allow withdrawals that would be used for cigarettes, porn, or alcohol or any other “sin” industry? While this is the slippery slope argument, consider your own situation.

How angry do you get when your card gets shut off when you’re trying to charge something? It’s a huge inconvenience, and generally, it irritates people that they have to call a 1-800 number to tell the bank that the purchase is real. Now, imagine the bank telling you that you can’t use your money because the bank believes you’re the victim of a scam. Remember, none of those red flags are actual evidence. The world is filled with possibilities and improbabilities. No one can prove that the Lt. General is actual a scamming group that’s been setting the bank client up for three years.

How to Avoid Being Scammed

There are some things you can do to avoid being scammed. If you get a check in the mail from someone or some company and you are not expecting the check, it could be a scam. (Unfortunately, a Safeway settlement that had people getting $200 without really knowing the reason why looked like a scam because people weren’t expecting the money.)

If someone calls you from an organization, hang up and call them back on a number you know not one you were given. The number on the back of your debit card or credit card is always a good place to start.

Recognize when your beliefs are clouding your judgement. You don’t deserve a better deal. God isn’t answering your prayers. Strangers aren’t always nice. Believing that everyone is evil is tiresome and unhealthy, still you need a healthy level of skepticism, especially if there’s a gift horse involved.

Look out for time sensitive offers. This is an old sales trick: I have five people looking at the house, so you’ll want to get your offer down as soon as possible. If you don’t pay $8000 within the next 48 hours, we’ll cut off your services. Scammers will tell you that there is a limited amount of time for you to make something right. If you don’t make the time limit, you’ll face dire consequences.

Do your research. Research the person’s name, what they look like, where they live, research who they work for. Call that organization whenever possible, using a phone number that wasn’t given to you by the person.

Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person.

The hardest part about falling for a scam is that it will take some of your trust away. A romance scam is especially dirty as it preys on our need for love, acceptance, and the joy that comes with knowing another person cares deeply about you. It’s not just the knowing that’s important. It’s the believing and when faith in love is taken advantage of, people lose their ability to trust and their will to live.

What to Do with Your Amazon Gift Card

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(This post uses affiliate links. Read the last paragraph for more information.) The week after Christmas is the best time for authors because that’s when most people buy their books. You may wonder why this time of year generates so many sales for authors. It’s because people get Amazon gift cards for Christmas and want to spend on things they might not otherwise buy throughout the year. Books have become one of life’s guilty pleasures. They make the perfect gift for yourself and others.

Buy Books

Obviously, you should get my books with your Amazon gift card. I’ve written 16 books, including my latest in the style of Choose Your Own ending books. Creativity skills for better problem solving, fictional answers to questions I had in Russia, and autobiographical tales about My Life in the Projects and My Life in the Peace Corps. For the younger set, I have Polly Penguin Wants to Fly. Whether you’re looking for entertainment or information, I have a book for you. My favorite is The Pirate Union for its sense of 90s’ humor.

Need More Books                     

But Shad, I have all your books. Then I recommend picking up books by Darren Lamb, Drue M. Scott, and T. M. Brenner. They’re stories are unique and not something you’d get from mainstream book publishers. If you want more creativity in your story-telling, these three authors have it in spades. Which reminds me, I’ve got to get back to editing Lamb’s and Scott’s books. That’s on me.

I Don’t Read

If you’ve gotten this far in this article, clearly, you do read. You just don’t think of yourself as a reader. That’s okay. Amazon has lots of other products available for your purchase. I would stick in the movies area, but music is also nice. I love Legos, even if I can’t afford them. Whatever you need, Amazon has it, and if you use one of my affiliate links, I’ll get a commission and your product won’t cost you anything more.

What To Do with Your Etsy Gift Cards

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Gift cards make some of the easiest gifts. You don’t have to worry about the size or color being right, and you can give them to a place that you know the person likes. But what do you do when you get a lot of gift cards? If they’re Etsy gift cards, we’ve got a solution for you. (Even if you didn’t get any Etsy gift cards, you can still take advantage of these great items.)

Sophie Scarfs

Our most popular item by far has been the Sophie scarf. This versatile accessory is soft and warm. They’ve been leaving the shop as fast as Jenya can knit them, and the reviews have been amazing. If you’ve never indulged in a scarf before, now’s the time. Keeping your neck warm makes a huge difference for the rest of your body, and these Sophie scarfs are the right choice for it.

Stuffed Bears

Jenya’s handmade plushies are unique, full of personality and soft. They become fast friends with their adoptive parents and are designed to be there in good times and bad. Jenya has one bear available at the moment. If bears aren’t your thing, we also have penguins and roly poly penguins at our Etsy shop!

Other Clothing

Jenya has also knitted a shawl, a poncho, and a blouse. These items are made for the petite person. They are designed for everyday luxury.

Etsy Gift Cards

When you give and Etsy gift card and it gets used, you’re helping a micro-business maintain their enthusiasm and productivity. More importantly, you’re getting a handcrafted item that will last for years. Thank you for finding and supporting us.

Blog Posts and Web Consultations: How Can I Help You?

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Are you a small business that has difficulty keeping its web content up to date? Are you looking for someone you can trust to help you mold your web presence into something better? I offer blog posts and web consultations to help move you to the next level in Internet presence.

Blog Posts

Everyone talks about AI, and people are using it to build their web footprint. However, this may not be the best way to go about getting your blogs seen. Some sources say that Google prioritizes good content regardless of how it was written. Others have said that search engines demote AI-written blog posts and prefer organic written posts. Either way, I can help.

You likely don’t have the time to commit to writing your own blog posts on a timely basis. To keep your audience engaged, you need to have a schedule that you can follow. Posting the same day on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will keep your blog relevant and in front of your audience. I can help with that. I can write one post or several throughout the year.

These posts will be informative, researched, and optimized for search engines. I have written thousands of SEO posts over the years, and now, I am ready to provide that expertise to you. If you would like to see some samples of my writing, check out the archive at Asgard Alaska. The articles with Ivar in the by-line are the ones I wrote.

Web Consultations

If you have several websites or social media that you use, and you want to improve their synergistic performance, I can help with that. Sometimes, it’s as simple as building links between your YouTube channel and your website. Sometimes, it’s a little more complicated.

I have worked with Paul Draper and Armin Hirmer to improve their web footprints. Let’s see how I can help you with your web metrics.

Not a Quick Fix

Blog posts and web consultations aren’t a quick fix. Instead, they offer a way to slowly grow your business while presenting a better face to the public. If you want organic traffic that builds on your pay-per-click ads, you need to have great content. That’s where I can help.

Contact Info

Contact me if you’re interested in moving forward with blog posts or web consultations. Leave a comment below. Thank you. If you aren’t looking for a writer or web consultant, find out how you can help us. (This article has been optimized for the words “blog posts and web consultations.”)

How Can You Help Us?

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Since I got laid off one month after paying to relocate for a “promotion,” people have asked how they can help. I don’t have a real answer for that because I’m still in the middle of trying to figure out what the hell happened. I have a couple of smaller answers that could help, though.

Contacts in Eugene, Oregon

If you know a business owner or a hiring manager for a business in Eugene, put them in touch with me. I’m not sure that any of my friends live I Eugene, but if you do, or you have in the past, and you still have contacts, now is the time to help me network. My last two jobs came because I knew someone who knew someone who worked there.

Outside of Oregon

Alternatively, if you know of a job that is remote or would be willing to pay moving expenses, I would be willing to consider that as well. I already have a couple of people step up and offer me remote writing jobs for blog posts and website organization. For physical locations, we’d prefer some place with a beach, and possibly, some place outside the U.S.

Purchase from Amazon through Penguinate

If you’re already buying from Amazon, use one of our affiliate links to make the purchase. It doesn’t cost you anything other than a little additional time, and it could make a huge difference depending on how many people make their purchases through the links on our website.

Join Our Patreon

Mom said I should think about setting up a GoFundMe, but Patreon is my version thereof. We currently have 10 members! When you join at any paid level, you get some benefits – the most recent instructions on how to fold a cootie catcher and a Viking Cootie Catcher template. The last two Decembers, I’ve done Virtual Advent Calendars, though this year’s calendar did have a physical component for those of my members who requested one. Other benefits include 10% off any purchase at our live events. The next one is scheduled for Mar. 29, 2025 in Salem, Oregon.

Adopt a Penguin or Bear

We have a lot of penguins and a couple of bears for adoption. They are available at Etsy, or send me a message. They will also be available at our Salem gig in March 2025.

Buy a Book

I’ve written 15 books. If you haven’t completed your collection, now would be a fantastic time. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can even read them for free and I still get a little bit of a boost.

Join and Use InboxDollars

A couple of people I know have joined InboxDollars using one of my links, but they never actually used the site. The thing is, we get 10% of whatever you earn. It doesn’t come out of your earnings, so you still get the full amount. I wrote a handy little guide to try to get the most of the program. In January 2025, I was hitting it hard, and I made $40.

Bookmark, Visit and Share Penguinate.com

The mere act of you showing up and reading this page is helpful. I have monetized the content as well as I can, given my resources. If I get a lot of people reading articles, making comments and sharing content, it would help improve the viability of this website as a possible revenue stream. I also write for Asgard Alaska; a visit to the website and share of their Viking content would be greatly appreciated.

I appreciate everyone and the outpouring of support on Facebook and through other contact points. I am sorry I don’t have a better way for you to help at the moment, but maybe, if we all pull together, we can help each other by changing the system that allows people to be thrown away like used trash any time a company isn’t making “enough” of a profit. I have been trying to come up with a story that would illustrate such a society, but there’s no conflict or profit in utopian literature unless I can somehow juxtapose it with the current reality while still showing that utopia could be attainable. Of course, we don’t have to go full utopia, just moving toward a more caring society that doesn’t allow bullies, sociopaths and idiots to run things would be an improvement.

How to Make Money with InboxDollars – 2025 Edition

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I looked at my most recent blog post on InboxDollars, and it was woefully out of date. This is an updated post with information that was correct as of Dec. 29, 2024.

InboxDollars is a website that pays its users based on what they do on the site. You can make money with games, magic receipt redemptions, surveys, offers, web searches, Bingo and other promotions. Through December 29, 2024, I had made $199.69. For the time I’ve been on InboxDollars, I made $1009.00. It’s not riches, but it’s not chump change. But how can you make the same or more than I have?

The Daily List

The easiest way to make some small coins is to look at your daily list and complete it. I usually just made it through the first level of completion, which on some days included Answer and Learn, Add a Magic Receipts Deal, Deal of the Day, Daily Games, and Attempt a Survey. Some days, Daily Games is replaced by Earn from Offers. If you complete these five activities, you get the Scratch and Win boost from Answer and Learn, the attempt at a survey, and the Daily Games, and you get the two or three cent bonus from completing those first five objectives. It doesn’t take long to do these activities, and over the course of a month if you do these every day, you’ll have at least 60 cents if nothing else went right.

Answer and Learn is one, multiple choice poll question. Click on the appropriate bubble and you’re done. Click on Deal of the Day from the Daily List; visiting that page is all you have to do.

Magic Receipt Deal

The Magic Receipt Deal is also one click after you get to the appropriate page. Just select one of the deals, any one of the deals, and you’re done as far as the Daily List is concerned.

However, Magic Receipts can offer you much more than just the completion of your Daily List. If you save your receipts from places where you normally shop, you can earn cash back on the things you buy. The store has to be registered with InboxDollars, so most independent shops are out. However, chain grocery stores like Safeway are available.

You’ll need to take a picture of the receipt and upload it to the site. Look for the possible deals available, and choose them. Some deals are so good, you might be able to get the items for free. Just be sure to read the fine print. One year near Halloween, I got paid to get One Hundred Grand chocolate bars from Walgreens. Walgreens had them on sale and the redemption prize for two bars was about two cents more than the bars cost. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s nice when it does.

Daily and Free Games

I usually choose Solitaire for the Daily Games. They have some other choices, and they’re in the QuickPlay section on the Games page. Basically, you can play until the Scratch and Earn line has flashed and registered your play or until the game tells you that you’ve earned as much Scratch and Earn progress as you’re going to get that day. I usually stop in the shortest time possible, but I have played until I go the warning when I was trying to get through the Scratch and Earn faster.

The other games on this page will allow you to earn money, too. They are time sinks, so you’ll have to grind it out if you want to make any serious coin. Just make sure you’re choosing games that have a bonus with them and that you will enjoy. Also, watch for the time limits involving the various awards.

Earn from Offers

There are a lot of offers on this page, including the game offers. When I’m trying to make a quick cent, I go to the Content Discovery where I find something that allows me to look at an article for one cent. This is the easiest way to fulfill the Daily List requirement. It usually involves three or four clicks and a little time on the web page. Make sure to read the conditions and be ready to click on a second choice if the first one doesn’t pay out.

Attempt a Survey

The surveys are the bugaboo of the entire system because you never know what you’re going to get. Attempting a survey is easy. Find a survey you like and click on the link. The survey gets registered as attempted as soon as you get to the new website.

Completing a survey is much more difficult. You are likely to qualify for one in five surveys or fewer, which means that you’ve spent the time to look at four surveys and answer their preliminary questions only to get kicked back to the InboxDollars site. This will give you more Scratch and Win progress, but it will take up your time. Most surveys don’t pay minimum wage, so it’s important to understand how much time you’re willing to put into getting a $1 and whether 20 cents for five minutes is better than 75 cents for 20 minutes. If you’re just burning daylight, and can do them, it’s mostly no harm no foul.

Scratch and Earn

The Scratch and Win bar across the top is probably the most exciting thing about InboxDollars. As it progresses, it gives you the opportunity to win bonuses (not so great unless you use them) or up to $100. I haven’t won the $100, yet, but I have gotten 12 cents. It’s important not to miss this bar because it will only accumulate to the end, so you need to scratch the card before you earn more progress. I always let this fill up because it seems the best way to win $100. I haven’t done the math, though.

Billy Button

The Billy Button is a search engine add-on that will direct you to possible InboxDollars deals when you are on other web sites. I resisted adding this until a couple of days ago because I don’t want anyone tracking my wed browser history. But the Billy Button is needed if you’re going to complete your Daily task list to the fullest. It’s also useful for the Bingo game.

Web Searches

This is where I stack up the progress bar. There’s a limit to the number of searches you can do a day, but that’s okay. Searches not only fill up the Scratch and Win progress bar, they also can give you a bonus if you complete enough days in a row. If I need to search something, I go to InboxDollars first.

Bingo Game

Every month or so, InboxDollars has a Bingo game. It’s listed under the More tab. You’ll get a small amount of money for visiting sites from the InboxDollars Bingo board page and completing that line. You’ll get more money the more squares you fill. Another line is activating the Billy Button at certain websites. Completing a search, redeeming offers, and logging into the InboxDollars App are some of the other items that get listed.

Get Others to Join

Another way to earn money is to get others to join using your Refer Friends code. You’ll get a bonus if they make a certain amount of money in a short time frame, and you’ll get a 10 percent stipend based on what they make. Obviously, if you could 100 active people to make $10 a month, you’d get $100 a month. I haven’t gotten there, yet, but maybe you will!

Advent Calendar 2024 What’s Inside (with Photo)

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I like surprises, but I realized that I don’t always get the item that’s a mystery. In fact, I usually only get a mystery item if I trust the business or person enough to believe I’m going to get value. Rarely, do I pick up a surprise because I want to be surprised; it usually involves my birthday or Christmas. Sometimes, it’s about value; can I risk the amount something costs? So, I decided to publish a sample list of items you might find in an Advent Calendar I put together.

Then, I realized that some people are visual and would much prefer a picture. So, that’s what I am putting here. A photo of a sample Advent Calendar. Please note: if you were to get an Advent Calendar from me, it will likely contain different items. The stock is constantly evolving and some items may not be available for a calendar.

If you want an Advent Calendar, leave me a message or a comment on my Patreon. Once I’ve worked out shipping, I’ll let you know the cost.

Holiday Shopping with a Personal Impact

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If you are going to be using Amazon for your holiday shopping, you can help our website out by using one of our Amazon links. When you shop through Penguinate.com, Amazon pays us a commission, The best part is that you don’t pay any more than you normally would for what you order.

Etsy Penguinate

If Amazon isn’t your thing, consider checking out our Etsy shop for plushies. Jenya has knit a bear with a sweater. The bear is super cute. We also have a selection of penguins available, including our popular Roly-Poly penguins.

Books Available

If plushies aren’t your thing (and I’m not sure that’s a possibility), I have written several books. All of them are available on Amazon in one form or another. I also have a few hard copies available that I could autograph and send.

If you’re looking for an archery book or something from an independent author, I still have several authors available, including Drue M. Scott, Darren Lamb, and Shannen Crane Camp. I’m going to read Sugar-Coated again, so I can see how the trilogy ends. Also, I have the Colorworld series.

Advent Calendar

If you would like an Advent Calendar, I am creating some. They will have stickers, projects, and other goodies. I’ll be posting on Patreon for the month of December. You could also get the 2023 Advent Calendar, which is electronic and already published.

Holiday Shopping for Impact

Of course, if none of this excites you, I urge you to find an artist, writer, non-profit, or small business to support this year. Don’t let the big businesses consolidate more cash into useless, leaden “wealth.”

Thank you for visiting our website through out the year. We appreciate you being here whether holiday shopping or not.

How to Make Money Online at DraftKings

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You can make money online at DraftKings, even if you aren’t a sports fan. DraftKings is a sports betting website that allows users to put money on their favorite teams. You do NOT have to wager any cash, however, to play their free games and win money, prizes, and DraftKings Dollars. Free games are just like their betting games, but they are FREE.

What’s the catch? DraftKings wants you to play the free games, so that you’ll be interested in betting on another game. Most free games have a sponsor that wants you to buy their product; these games provide a soft-sell for them. Some sponsors will ask for your email. Those are the catches, along with the ones in the real sports games.

How do you as a (non)-sports fan make money? Let’s break it down.

Daily Fantasy Sports Vs. Sportsbook

DraftKings offers two ways to play, and the betting portions may or may not be available depending on your state’s laws. Daily Fantasy Sports, or DFS, is what a lot of people play. It’s been described as Dungeons and Dragons for jocks. You pick a set of players from different teams in an attempt to get the highest score for the game. Your score is based on the statistics (stats) your players accumulate during a live game. If you have more points than the other players playing the same game, you win. Some games pay out to the top 50% players. Some pay out only to the top 10. It just depends on the rules set forth by the sponsor. Do not be intimidated. Think of it like the lottery. You’re picking numbers and hoping they’ll come up.

Every game where you select players will have the player’s position, name, average fantasy output, and cost. You have a budget that you cannot exceed when choosing your team. Your job, in the beginning and absent of any analysis, is to choose players who have the highest average output for the least amount of money. Depending on the contest, you may need to have a certain number of players who qualify for certain positions. You won’t have to know what the positions are or what the abbreviations stand for. You just need to choose a team.

With Sportsbook Pools, you pick a set of teams to win their games (or cover the spread), or answer a series of questions about who you think will do what. Some of these Pools aren’t even sports related. They’ve had pools about TV shows, the weather, and other random fun topics of popularity.

Don’t worry about the jargon if you’re new to sports or betting. For your first pick ‘em games, you’ll just want to pick who you think will win. Since these are free, you won’t even have to worry about winning or losing. It’s all about crossing your fingers and hoping those metaphorical ping pong balls come up the right way.

DK Dollars and Crowns

While DraftKings does offer free games that provide real dollars, they also offer DK Dollars and Crowns. These you can only use on the site. Crowns you can convert into betting capital, and DK Dollars are equivalent to real dollars. This is what is known as house money. You can use it for any games you’re eligible to play as long as there is no restriction on the game you choose. You don’t have to use them, but if you don’t they will sometimes disappear because they have an expiration date.

Increase Your Chances

If you don’t want to just plug in random players, you can study the game to increase your figurative chances of winning. You will have to learn the game you’re interested in, like football or basketball. At least, you’ll need to learn the jargon used for the sports.

Once you know some of the jargon, you can click on the research tab at DraftKings and find out what the experts are saying about who to choose. For the NFL, you’ll need to know what week they are currently in. For the NBA and MLB, you’ll need to know what day it is that your games take place. Then you can try to use the experts’ opinions to create a roster.

You can even look at YouTube to find some people talking about the picks and why they choose them. Of course, even the experts get the picks wrong. Sometimes, injuries will knock your players out of the games. That’s all part of DFS sports.

The Spread

When people talk about “the spread” in betting, they are referring to the number of points a team needs in order for a win to count as a win. Winning outright isn’t enough. Teams need to win by a certain number of points. For example, the Bills are seven-point favorites against the Jaguars. If you bet the spread and say the Bills are going to win, the Bills would need to score seven or more points than the Jaguars. If the Bills win the game by three points, you lose the bet. By the same token, if you take the Jaguars to win, and they lose by three, you still win the bet because they lost by fewer than seven points. When looking at the spread, a minus sign before the number indicates that the team is favored to win by that many points. (It’s confusing until you get used to it. Apparently, the guy, Charles McNeil credited with inventing the spread was a mathematician.)

With the free pick ‘em games, I don’t worry about the spread too much. I just try to guess the winner and hope they cover the spread (win by enough points for the bet to payout).

How to Find Free Games

When you log on to DraftKings Daily Fantasy, you’ll need to make sure you’re in the Lobby. A list of upcoming games will load, and you can click on “entry fee.” It should sort out from low (free) to high. If it’s free, click on the enter button and try choosing.

When logging on to DraftKings Sportsbooks, find the “Pools” tab and click on it. There will be a list of pools you may enter in.

Why Play DFS?

Sports is a huge part of American life. It’s a light topic that most people won’t get too upset about, and if it can help you connect with someone else, you might want to learn about it. I learned to love basketball my freshman year in college, so I could live in harmony with my roommate. I didn’t realize how important it would be as I went through life meeting other sports fans. Daily Fantasy Sports offers a way into the sport of your choice while giving you something else to think about and learn.

This article contains my referral links. If you decide to play for real money (of at least $20) on DraftKings, we both will get a betting allowance of DK Dollars. Really, I’d rather hear that you won a free contest than have a DraftKings allowance for games. There are other Daily Fantasy Sports sites. FanDuel and Yahoo! are a couple of others that I will likely explore in the near future.

I wrote this article because the following articles got a lot of response. They were liked, viewed, and some people subscribed to my blog because of them. Apparently, everyone wants to know how to make money online. I want to share the… cents… wealth is taking it too far at this point.