Marla Mayes
Marla Mayes is a former technical documentation manager turned freelance writer based in Central Florida. A Featured Contributor in 2012 for Yahoo! Politics, her work appears on the Yahoo! News, Sports, Finance, and Voices websites. She also contributes celebrity beauty news for The Daily Glow website through Skyword Inc. As a copywriter and ghostwriter for B2B and B2C business clients at Scripted, MediaPiston, and Blogmutt, her specialties cover apartments, beauty, business management, celebrities, entertainment, fitness, lifestyle, movies, music, pets, restaurants, retail, social media marketing, TV, and travel destination topics.
She is a chocoholic, really bad bowler, mom to a mini-schnauzer, and unpaid caregiver for her elderly parents.
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She is a chocoholic, really bad bowler, mom to a mini-schnauzer, and unpaid caregiver for her elderly parents.
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- Contributor since
- 11/12/2011
Education/Experience
Bachelor of Science
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Displaying Results 1 - 84 (of 84) for All Content
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Pinterest: Ways to Make Extra Cash for PinningYes, you really can get paid to pin stuff from advertisers on Pinterest. Here's the scoop on where to sign up. -
Orlando Movie Theaters Serving Up All-in-One Dinner and a MovieFind out which movie theaters in Orlando also serve dinner/drinks and what to expect in style, movie types, and menu from each venue. -
Fun Things to Do in Orlando for Fitness ResolutionsFun ways in the Orlando, FL area to help you get active and working on your New Year's fitness resolution. You'll keep moving long after the Superbowl to the next New Year's Eve with these ideas. -
5 Best Tips on How to Make Your Hair Grow Faster and LongerFind out the best ways for growing hair faster and longer with these tips from medical and beauty experts. -
First Person: Medicare in Fiscal Cliff Deal Saves Dad from Cancer-Care ChangesAbove and beyond the tax benefits for the middle-class, the Medicare part of the fiscal cliff deal helped my Dad avoid changing doctors in the middle of cancer treatment.
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Kim Kardashian Pregnant and What Else We’re Expecting from HerKim Kardashian is expecting her first baby and here's what we're expecting the reality star to keep up with during her pregnancy. -
Celebrity Trivia: Miley Cyrus on TV Match GameA celebrity trivia quiz for Miley Cyrus fans about her TV show appearances. -
Florida Gators Football Fans Have Much to Be Thankful for in 2012The best reasons to be thankful for the University of Florida Gators football team this year. -
5 Great Websites to Find Work from Home JobsWhether unemployed, retired, or working but want-to-make-a-change, these websites will help you find real work from home jobs. Includes freelance and employer-based job websites for full or part-time work. -
Jacksonville Jaguars 2012 Tailgating GuideWhat fans and visitors should know about tailgating at Jacksonville Jaguars home games in EverBank Field.
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5 Zany RNC Convention Stories in Florida HeadlinesWhat Florida residents saw and read from local news reports about the behind the scenes antics during the 2012 RNC convention.
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Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Team ProfileAn overview of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football team including important changes for 2012.
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New World Records Set at the London 2012 OlympicsA list of new world records set during the London 2012 Olympic Games listed by sport with names, country, event, and results.
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New Olympic Records Set During the London 2012 OlympicsLondon 2012 Olympic record-breakers for each sport listed by name, country, event, and result.
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Top 5 Olympic Closing Ceremony TraditionsTop favorite traditions to watch for during the Olympic Closing Ceremony.Also published on: -
Tailgating Guide: University of Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin StadiumA tailgating guide for the University of Florida Gator football games. -
Using Fresh Chocolate Mint from My Herb GardenWhat I'm doing with my newest herb garden addition, the chocolate mint herb. -
2012 Olympics TV Schedule: ArcheryThe television schedule for the archery competition at the 2012 Olympics in London.
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Supreme Court Decision Reaction: Thankful, Relieved, and Hope Renewed for My Lack of Health Care Coverage SituationWith my health care nightmare resulting in $42K of medical debts and a pre-existing condition, I'm cheering the Supreme Courts' decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Here's why.
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Factbox: Facebook Fails Again with Unannounced Email and Find Friends Nearby App ChangesFacebook's Find Friends Nearby app was introduced on Monday and scrapped on Tuesday. Here's what happened.Also published on:
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Florida's Busy Week: Immigration, Rick Scott, DHS and Obama All Take TurnsThe week in Florida politics began with Florida Gov. Rick Scott delivering the first punch.
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Huckabee Says Clinton a Better President Than ObamaRepublican Mike Huckabee stated on ABCs "This Week" that former president Bill Clinton was a better president than Barack Obama because Clinton was supposedly more negotiable with the GOP back in the day. Sure he was...
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Saving $40 a Month on Pricey Generic Prescription DrugsGeneric prescription drugs are supposed to be cheap, but sometimes they're just cheaper (than the brand name version). I went to great lengths to find a substantial discount on my pricey $92 a month generic drug. Find out how I finally found the savings. -
Father's Day 2012: Top 10 Florida Gators Football Gifts for DadWhether dad is a University of Florida alumni like mine, or a parent of a Gators grad or student, dad will love these Florida Gators football fan gifts for Father's Day.Also published on:
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Pot-Mom Teen Driving Baby on Car Roof is More Proof that Parents Should Be TestedArrested on Saturday, the pot-mom teen mother who drove off while forgetting she placed her 5-week-old baby on the car roof is another incident proving parents should be tested to keep their kids. What if "No Child Left Behind" added parental exams?
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Not Wild About Oprah's Book Club 2.0 PickAs a longtime Oprah fan, I welcomed the news on Friday of her book club revival, but I'm not wild about her first book selection -- "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. Has Oprah lost her way or did I outgrow Oprah? -
First Person: A Side Gig Helped My CareerMoonlighting as a professional wedding and special event musician was a surprising career boost in my early working days. My high-tech engineering employer promoted me into leadership roles due to how my side gig demonstrated leadership capabilities.Also published on:
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My Fit Over 40 Workout Routine with Graves DiseaseAfter being treated for Graves disease, my former overactive-thyroid, 40-something self had to change exercise plans to emphasize weight control over toning and strength training. Learn what I did to control my weight with this home workout routine. -
Going Cheap on Wedding Ceremony Music Can Ruin Your Wedding DayHow just one wrong note, and other wedding music flubs, can ruin your wedding day. Hiring inexperienced, amateur wedding musicians can trim wedding costs, but are the paltry savings worth it? -
Warren Buffett Rescues Local Southern Newspapers, and That's a Good ThingBerkshire Hathaway Inc. is purchasing a majority share of Media General's local newspapers in the U.S. Southeast. Might Warren Buffett become a worthy rival to Rupert Murdoch's news media influence?
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Florida Voter Turnout 2012: Apathy, Suppression, or Write-In Protest?Every Florida vote counts in presidential elections as the infamous Gore v. Bush, and almost-was Kerry v. Bush, elections proved. Obama barely won Florida in 2008, so what's happened since then that may adversely affect 2012 voter turnout?
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First Person: I'm Too Broke to Go BankruptIn debt for $42K, I can't afford the $1,500 lawyer fee and court costs to file for bankruptcy. CNN Money reports I'm not alone. Estimates indicate that I'm one of up to a million people this year that are too broke to afford bankruptcy fees.
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Starting a New Office Job? Advice for College GraduatesThe transition from college life to working professional can be a rude awakening for college graduates of the competitive kind.
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Michele Bachmann's Swiss Dual Citizenship Is a National Security RiskMichele Bachmann revealed her dual citizenship, recently granted by Switzerland, during a Swiss public TV network interview Tuesday evening according to Politico. The Republican congresswoman's dual citizenship warrants a national security investigation.
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First Person: My 79-Year-Old Dad Refinanced His House for Another 30 YearsMy parents bought their home in 1970. After 40 years of first, second, and sometimes third mortgage payments, they refinanced it again with a 30-year home loan. What were they thinking?
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I Gave Up Playing the Lottery for SweepstakesGiving up a treasured luxury expense of $10 a week for lottery tickets was necessary when I lost my job. It was tough to lose my weekly dose of lotto hope. But I found the funner (and free) world of online sweepstakes and won a few small prizes too!
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Ann Romney Portrays Dumb Blonde with Fishy $1K Fashionista Fowl Shirt MomentFirst lady wannabe, Ann Romney, displayed an incredible lack of commonista sense with a 1K T-shirt choice on a recent CBS TV morning show. ABC News confirmed today the pricey, designer, off-the rack, selection. Certainly seems fishy, or fowl...
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Beautiful Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Gardening MomsIf your Mom loves growing flowers and plants like mine, you can impress her with thoughtful consideration of her favorite hobby on Mother's Day with these attractive garden-lover gifts.
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First Person: I'm Working Part Time and I Couldn't Be HappierPart-time jobs in the corporate world can be tough to find as they are often not posted on the usual job boards. This is how I got my unadvertised part-time job with an engineering and manufacturing company and how it's helping my future career options.
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Supporting Ron Paul is Naive: Small Governments Are for Small CountriesRon Paul is staying the course with his modified campaign and his Minnesota delegate award tactics have Mitt Romney's campaign staff concerned. Ron Paul continues on because his small, yet enthusiastic young supporters are inexperienced in the real world.Also published on:
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First Person: I Was Charged $2,500 After My Apartment Move-OutThe best apartment I've ever rented was the worst after move out. I had no idea what one ridiculous $2,500 fee was for until I received a class-action lawsuit notice. This is my apartment rental move out horror story.
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Mitt Romney Should Pick Jeb Bush Over Marco Rubio for Vice PresidentThe Republican VP nomination sweeps have started with potential Floridian candidates' flip-flops and Freudian slips. If Mitt Romney is looking to win over Florida Independents, Jeb Bush would do better than Marco Rubio for these reasons.
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Pinterest: Invited but Can I 'PinIt' to Earn Extra Cash?There are too many social media sites out there in cyberland to keep up with. So I need to focus my online time with sites that I can earn the most extra cash with. Blogging and tweeting for cash is viable, but can I "PinIt" for extra income on Pinterest?
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Saving on Pet Care Without Skipping EssentialsI've kept my pet from homelessness even though my budget is tight. Long-term unemployment and underemployment lowered my earnings from middle class to low income, yet I haven't compromised on quality pet care by using these money saving strategies.
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First Person: I Started a Small Business For Just $10Selling makeup and beauty supplies from home was a low cost way to start-up a small business and earn extra cash. It was fun and profitable working from home as an independent sales representative for two years until I relocated for another job.
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First Person: 3 Things I Won't Buy Used AnymoreBuying used items can be an effective money saving strategy for the right things, but there's some stuff I'll never buy second-hand again. Some things are just not worth the trouble.
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Buffett Rule Should Be an Easy Bi-Partisan Win in CongressWhat the Warren Buffet Rule means to me is millionaire's will pay more taxes, pay their fair share, or pay it forward into the American economy instead of stashing hoards of cash in off-shore accounts and investments. Works for this 99%'er.Also published on:
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Autistic Foster Girl's Drowning in Florida was PreventableA 9-year-old severely autistic foster child, who could barely speak, went missing for three hours from a child's party despite 8 adults in attendance. Divers found her body in a pond near her potential adoptive parents' home on Golden Silence Drive.
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First Person: Spring Cleaning My Financial PaperworkClearing piles of unpaid bills, debt collector nasty-grams, and other assorted paperwork clutter can be daunting - even for a professional data manager. Here's how I'm putting my day job skills to work for me at home to spring clean my paperwork clutter.
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Sarah Palin Declares 'Game On' to Katie Couric in Morning Show Guest-Host FeudSarah Palin will guest-host NBC's "Today Show" for Tuesday's primary in an attempt to counter Katie Couric's guest-hosting on ABC's "GMA" this week. Palin on TV, again? What could NBC be thinking?
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Obama Needs Olbermann to Win Re-ElectionKeith Olbermann, fired in a fury from his Current TV gig, is raging much like his firing from MSNBC in 2011. Democrats won big-time in 2008 with Olbermann at the helm of MSNBC’s presidential election coverage – coincidence? More like reverse déjà vu.
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First Person: My 5-Year, Debt-Free College DegreeI paid my own way to obtain a four year college degree without student loans or Pell Grants. A combination of planning, mentoring, saving money and a rare opportunity made it possible.
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Popular on Facebook? You’re so Vain According to New StudyA new study connects Facebook activity with narcissism. While some may think "doh" or "that’s news?" -- others counter that egotism on social networking sites is just self-promotion for a reasonable purpose. So what's the diff?
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First Person: Helping My Fixed-Income, Retired Parents Save on GroceriesLike many of the elderly, my parents lose track of what's already in their refrigerator and food pantry. Worse, they are both foodies and are susceptible to grocery sales on goodies. Using the internet is how I'm helping them save on grocery shopping.
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Is Amazon.Com’s Purchase of Kiva Systems a Brilliant Move?Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com’s eccentric bigillionaire founder, may have bigger game-changer-innovator-extraordinaire long-term plans in mind. Is it something bigger than retail warehouse automation?
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Republicans: Does the Right to Life Include Right to Health Care?The Supreme Court needs to be the adult in this Left Wing vs. Right Wing health care reform feud. In a twisted paradox, it's a Right to Choose Healthcare righties vs. the Right to Choose Life lefties political showdown.
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First Person: I'm Living on Less Than Minimum WageAffordable housing is the biggest challenge for minimum wage workers, more so for those of us making less. My housing situation is not ideal, but it's better than being homeless.
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First Person: A $10 Cell Phone Plan Is Enough for MeI switched pre-paid cell phone plans from unlimited, anytime, text, data, email, internet, and voice to a pay-as-you-go plan. I'm saving $40 a month by switching plans.
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First Person: Middle-Aged, Broke and Deeply in DebtLong term unemployment, underemployment, and family medical have me stuck near the bottom of the 99% pool. I've got to start from scratch somehow to recover from this financial mess I'm in. This is my plan for financial recovery.
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First Person: I'm Rebuilding My Savings from ScratchMy father's savings account was charged for inactivity during a recent 3 month hospital stay, despite maintaining $1,000 plus in his checking account. This is how I avoid inactivity fees by saving money using an online only bank savings account.
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March Madness at Consumerist.Com: The Worst Company in America PlayoffsThe Consumerist, a non-profit subsidiary of Consumer Reports, wants your votes for the worst of the worst companies in America. Voting is fashioned after March Madness NCAA bracket tournament with company vs. company online square-off votes.Also published on:
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No Pink Slime in Publix Hamburgers, but Hold the TomatoPublix Supermarkets, a top grocery store chain in Florida, had a major win and fail on the national stage this week. They do not use the notorius "pink slime" in their beef, yet tomato farmworker protestors were joined by Ethel Kennedy.Also published on:
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Kris Humphries Insists Kim Kardashian Return the Wedding GiftsAren't wedding gifts joint property? Why is Kim Kardashian donating double the value of the gifts, and then some, to a charity instead of returning them? Who gets the tax write-off?
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I Conquered Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking in a Most Unusual Way...Art ClassGetting beyond extreme shyness to become a (reluctant) art class model was the best personal and professional growth development thing I've ever done, albeit inadvertently. My stage fright transformed into a calm and comfortable me on stage ever since.
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First Person: I'm on Unemployment But I'm Still WorkingEarning up to $58 a week by self-employment or part-time work is allowed without any reduction in unemployment aid in my state, Florida. This is how I've earned extra pocket cash during unemployment.
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A Dog's Day at the ZooThis poem was inspired by a photo of a Guide Dog puppy in a training session at the zoo.
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First Person: No Retirement for Me?My parents retired early in their 50s. Now in their 70s with failing health, I'm looking at being their unpaid caretaker for many years. When will I ever be able to retire if I can't work during the next five or 10 or more years?Also published on:
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Industry Rewards Bad Behavior Again: Lindsay Lohan to Host 'SNL' on March 3Lindsay Lohan is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live on March 3. I wish the Industry would not reward her like that and here's why.
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First Person: I'm Pre-Approved For an Auto Loan But I'm Keeping My Old CarI received an unsolicited credit offer to buy a car, but I'm broke, underemployed, and $42K in debt.
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First Person: I Owe $42,000 in Hospital Bills and I’m Not PayingHow a life-threating medical emergency in 2011 put me in debt for almost four times more than my income, yet I had group health insurance. This is why I'm not going to pay.
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First Person: Forced Ranking Systems and Employee HiringHiring designated low performers is an odd management strategy some bosses use, but don't admit to. Here's why.
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First Person: I'm Now a Permanent Temp Worker ... and I Love ItTemping is not a bridge to a permanent job for me. After years of climbing the corporate ladder(s), I was laid off and outsourced -- repeatedly. Surprisingly happier as a temporary office worker, permanently, here's why I made that mid-life career choice.
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First Person: Grandma Got Ripped Off by a ScammerHelping my elderly mom identify credit card fraud, recover the loss, and report the scam. Hacker security breaches at scads of banking and shopping websites, she already had (free) identity theft protection provided by her afflicted credit card company.
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5 Single Boomer Celebrities that Should Be on 'Dancing with the Stars'"DWTS" could transform these perpetually single baby boomers personal lives for the better and why it would be fun to watch them.
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5 Single Music Celebrities that Should Be on 'Dancing with the Stars'Divorced or long - time single, these Pop - Rock music stars might benefit from a go on the "DWTS" dance floor. Here's why.
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Pantyhose is Glam Again: 5 Ways I Stretch My Sheer Tights DollarPantyhose is back in style! Cheap stockings can get expensive, not to mention the upscale brands, unless I use my easy, budget-saving, extended-wear pantyhose plan.
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New Year, New You: Start Dating Without Online Singles SitesAre you uncomfortable (re)entering the dating scene using the Singles Meet Market dating sites? I am. Effectively advertising yourself as single and available to the opposite sex doesn't require aggressive or expensive online singles marketing.
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Hot ChocolateA winter haiku.
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5 Reasons Why My Sexist, Cheapskate Manager was the Best Boss I Ever HadNot so politically correct Mr. Stan, "The Ice Cream Man", inspired career minded teens back in the day. Albeit sexist and cheap, this is why he was adored and what today's managers can learn from him.
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A Christmas Wish List for OprahA list of things to gift from the heart that honor Oprah's spirit of giving.
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ABC’s Retro '60s TV Show ‘Pan Am’ Makes the Going Glam"Pan Am" is a fun-to-watch early 60’s retro perspective of the times in full color, in a day when TV shows and movies were actually filmed in black and white. But is the show an airbrushed colorized version of the day or Reality TV 60s style?
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My Favorite Christmas ThingsA wacky and fun "My Favorite Things" Christmas poem.
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Many Presents to FindA holiday poem about the quest for the best gifts - written in the villanelle style.
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Snowflake Paws, Floppy JawsA light poem a-la- "Jingle Bells" about a dog having lots-o-fun romping through the snow.