The Bubblews Warning Label: Problems With Payments

Back in April I wrote a post titled Make Money with Bubblews for Doing No More Than You Would on Facebook or a Blog in which I was raving about Bubblews as a way to make money online.  I had been a member for one month then and all seemed great.  In fact, things were great there until a few weeks ago.  I had made about $200 dollars up until that date and not experienced any problems at all with payments.  Then, on 5th August I saw that I had reached the minimum needed to redeem payment so I sent my request through.  it is now 31st August and I still have not received payment nor have I received any communication from Bubblews.  I had heard that they had delayed payments, so I waited, but today I e-mailed them to enquire about the payment.  From what I've heard, I'll be lucky to get a response, but I thought I would go through the motions at least.  Here I plan to write what I believe the problems are with Bubblews.  It may be that you just write me off as a disgruntled user, complaining after not receiving one payment, but I honestly believe there are bigger problems than that.

Are Juries More Likely to Find People Guilty Just Because They Are On Trial?

I guess I should start by explaining why at gone 1am I am wondering if juries are more likely to find people guilty just because they are on trial.  If you follow my blog, you’ll notice that I've not been posting much for several months and that’s because I have been extremely ill.  I've been more ill than I have been in many, many years and even when I was able to write, I didn't feel up to writing about my depressing symptoms.  So, I’m going to write about what I've been doing during that time.  I usually pick a DVD box set and watch some of my favourite TV series.  But after a while, even that wasn't quite hitting the spot, especially as my sleeping pattern has been totally out of whack.  I've recently found a new pass time and that is watching episodes of Dateline NBC on youtube. 

For those that don’t know of it, it's an American true crime show and has the same formula; through interviews and narration we’re shown the background on a shiny happy family, one of them dies, and then the legal investigation against a suspect is carried out and finally the court case.  I've watched so many episodes this past week, but I have to say, I'm seriously starting to wonder if the jury just finds every single person guilty, whether there is the evidence for it or not.

I studied Law for 3 years at college, have been a witness in a customs sting case and have sat on a jury, so the law has always interested me.  In fact, I wanted to be a legal journalist once upon a time, until studying the law made me realise that the practice of law has very little to do with guilt or innocence and a lot to do with who can put on the best show in court.

Although I'm not legally allowed to talk about the case I was asked to serve on as a juror, I will say that after that experience, I would have been more inclined to state that jurors are more likely to, initially at least, go for not guilty.  I justified this by assuming that people didn't want the burden of finding someone guilty.  But my case was nothing like the ones they show on NBC Dateline.

Now I’m wondering if perhaps people think “Murder is a serious crime; they wouldn't charge someone and bring a case against them if they weren't sure.”  After all, it’s always so easy on CSI and all the other shows like it.  Dexter has almost been caught so many times and that’s even with him covering up from within the legal system.  But I watched a couple of Dateline NBC shows today, where even the victim’s families were shocked by the guilty verdicts, and one of them even said “I didn't think they would convict on such little evidence.”  Have the legal and crime drama shows that can be found airing all day every day given the average person an unreasonable level of confidence in the police and legal services?  Do they think a person must be guilty of something to have come under suspicion in the first place?

If any case shows how wrong this kind of thinking is, it's the murder case of Angie Dodge and the fact that Christopher Tapp, in 1998, was found guilty of that crime and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.  You can actually watch that episode (see the bottom of the page) and see the whole travesty yourself.  But the fact is that Christopher Tapp, who was little more than a kid back then, was harassed and cajoled and fed information until he finally confessed to a crime he did not commit and even ended up implicating another man.  I could write the whole sordid tale here, but I will let you watch it, all I will say is that this is such a disgusting miscarriage of justice and I wish I could do more to help get him out, as the victim's mother is currently fighting to do.

I have signed a petition and if you also feel so moved after watching the show, or doing some online investigation, please click on the link below.

Christopher C Tapp New Trial Petition | GoPetition



If you've seen this, or know of this case, let me know what you think below!  Also, do you think juries are more likely to find people guilty just because they are on trial?

Ill But Still Trying for ME Awareness

It has been over a month since I last posted here and that's because I have been very ill but I've still been trying to write, especially as May was ME Awareness month.  I wrote a number of posts on Bubblews about ME and living with this illness, and you can find a list of these below.  I'd be lying if I said it has been easy; my worsening symptoms have not helped with my mood, but we can but try.  

I think the most important article I wrote was the one about Karina Hansen and I would urge you to read her story and to sign at least one of the online petitions.  You could help to save her life.

My Handsfree Samsung Tablet Lifesaver

Recently my partner got a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and while I was interested in his new toy, I didn't actually think I would personally get any use out of it.  How wrong I was!  For starters it is easier and lighter to use when I am lying down, as I found out while I was horizontal with my latest ear infection.  But now he has bought an even better treat that has made things even better for me!

What he bought is this flexible arm thing which clips onto the back of the bed (the picture below actually doesn't do it much justice) What you can do is clip this onto the back of the bed (or a bed side table) and bend the arm so the tablet hangs above your head.  This means that my arms and hands do not ache after a little while, as I no longer need to use them.  I can watch videos online and I even played a game like this.  Also, because the arm is flexible, I can move to a comfortable position and adjust the position of the tablet to match.

The clamp that attaches to the back of the bed is adjustable and extends up to 5cms, and the part that attaches to the tablet is also adjustable and I even used it with the Samsung Galaxy Note in it's tablet case.

I wouldn't recommend this if you intend to actually be tapping away at your tablet for an extended time, because your tablet will bob about due to the flexible arm it is attached to.  Also, once it is attached to your bed, I would suggest that you leave it attached there, rather than repeated removing and reattaching.  But if you're anything like me, this shouldn't be a problem. 

This is one of those things that is just so simple and inexpensive but makes a world of difference to an ME sufferer like me.

Make Money with Bubblews for Doing No More Than You Would on Facebook or a Blog

EDITED 31 August 2013: Please note I have written an update to my experience with Bubblews.  Please read: The Bubblews Warning Label: Problems With Payments

I want to share here a way that I have been making extra money and that I think any ill person who is able to use their computer can also do.  I haven't been posting as frequently recently as health has been on a bit of a downer and I've also been posting (or bubbling as they call it) more often on Bubblews.  I've been writing online for a few years now and my main writing has been on Squidoo and I've made some money, but it has been tough going, especially as they made a lot of changes recently.  I was not directly affected by those changes but it made me realise that if you're going to write online, you can't put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak.

Someone recommended Bubblews and said they were making more money writing there than on any other website.  So I decided to check it out.  I was extremely sceptical about the site at first because it honestly sounds too good to be true.  Also I read some articles about how they have not received payment for their posts.

Here are the rules and Bubblews says that they have the right to remove (and not pay out) any account that partakes in the conduct listed below:

An Ill Person's Reality is Seen as Negativity by the Positivity Police

After almost twelve years of ME/CFS I thought I could handle anything.  I know my body better, I know the illness better and I am able to do so much more by managing my symptoms.  I can even advise others on what I know and where I was once unable to share my experiences, I find it easier to do so these days.  This blog was the first step and now I have even started to write about my experiences with ME on Bubblews [EDIT: 30th April 2014 I no longer write for Bubblews so all posts have no been moved to this blog].  I started off with an introductory piece on the illness called 'Myalgic Encephalomyelitis' which was a first for me as I had never actually tried to explain it in writing before.  I followed that with a post about my ME story called Life as an ME Sufferer but I think my drive kind of fizzled out at the end there and I was forced to make a half-baked attempt at being positive.

But yesterday I wrote Have You Been Cruel to an Ill Person? which was my most difficult post so far.  I wrote about the cruelty we face as people who suffer from an invisible illness.  I know it is important for us to write about the ugly reality of illness, but it is not easy.  I would love to only write about all the wonderful things in my life, and don't get me wrong, there are plenty of parts of my life that I am so grateful for.  I write about them too, from the horror movies that I like to watch, to local places and attractions that I love to visit when I am able to get out.  But the truth is that people who suffer from invisible illnesses, who are afflicted with these awful chronic illnesses are so misunderstood and I can't help but feel that the more we get our stories out there, the more we can lift the veil and show our side of things.

Life As An ME Sufferer

Yesterday* I wrote about an illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) which is an organic neurological illness. The reason I know so much about ME and try to raise awareness of it is because I have been a sufferer since 2001.

Imagine waking up one day, excited and happy; you're going away for the August bank holiday weekend with friends. You sit down to a meal one evening, and over a glass of wine, have a lovely chat with friends. That, right there, is the last time you will ever feel healthy again. Can you imagine that? 

Football Match and a BPD Emotional Drive-By: Just Another Week For This ME Sufferer

I've had a zombified, slow-mo week but I didn't really mind as it was payment for a great day out with my partner.  On Bank Holiday Monday my partner and I went to see Chelsea v Manchester United.  He had managed to get the tickets from some guy at work that was unable to make it and the stadium is close to where we live.  My partner is Italian, so he does not support either team (he’s an Inter Milan fan) but he enjoys going to see live matches.  I wasn't really looking forward to going as I’m not really a football fan but I was adamant that I would go.  We hardly ever do anything as a couple anymore, what with me always being ill and he really wanted us to go.

That Awful Sunday Feeling

Ever since I was old enough to form an opinion I've hated Sundays. I guess that is normal when Sundays signify the end of the weekend and the start of the school/work week the next day, but not so normal when you don't work and everyday involves around the same routine.  What are even worse are bank holiday weekends - as I get that awful Sunday feeling twice.

Right up until I became ill with ME I think I just had that normal sense of "Oh, the weekend's over - bloody school/work again tomorrow." Now, there is nothing normal about the depth of sadness I feel every Sunday.  It was less so during the autumn and winter months but as we creep towards longer days, it is definitely getting worse. 

National Puppy Day 2013

This is just a very quick post about a day that is very close to my heart - National Puppy Day!  On 23rd March 2013, it will be the 8th anniversary of this day which not only encourages us to appreciate puppies and the joy and magic they bring to our lives, but also tries to educate and raise awareness about adopting puppies and stopping the evil and horrific practices of Puppy Farming.

I found out about National Puppy Day last year and try to do what I can to educate others as my dogs have meant the world to me and were the only things that kept me going through this illness.  No animal deserves to be used and abused by humans just for profit.  

Please, please, please can you read the posts I have written about National Puppy Day and Puppy Mills and forward them to as many people as possible.

Thank you so much!

Read National Puppy Day to Stop Puppy Farms and 

National Puppy Day Against Puppy Mills