7 Ways to Make Extra Money in 2011

Job security might be out, but freelance, contract, and temporary work is in, which makes it easier than ever to moonlight as a graphic designer while you spend your days as a public relations rep. Slimmer staffs mean companies often need the extra help, and new websites offer free tools that match potential employers with workers. And earning extra money beyond your steady paycheck, if you're lucky enough to have one, can provide a big boost to your financial security.
Here are seven ways to make extra money off the new economy in 2011:
Launch a Brand
When Kimberly Seals-Allers, former senior editor at Essence magazine, was expecting her first child, she discovered that black women face higher risks during childbirth and pregnancy. "I realized we were a special group, and I wanted to write a book about everything in black women's lives. Not just pregnancy, but money, men, and myths in our community. [I wanted] to create a new way forward."
Her first book, "The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy," turned into a series as well as an online magazine, maternity line, and consultancy. Seals-Allers also licensed use of the Mocha Manual name to create an instructional DVD sold at Walmart and supermarkets.
Start a Blog
The anonymous blogger behind Lazy Man and Money defies his site's name. He works about 14 hours a day on weekdays and then puts in nine hours on Saturday and Sunday. But his hard work is paying off -- his blog earns him enough to support his lifestyle; back in 2008, he estimated his annual earnings at around $30,000. But it's tough for part-time bloggers with full-time jobs to keep up with all the demands of a lucrative blog. "There's simply a lot more [to do] than what the average reader sees," he says.
Even if the blog itself doesn't generate a six-figure salary, it can lead to other money-making opportunities, such as consulting or speaking gigs. Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life has carved out a successful niche as the expert on personal finance and technology in Silicon Valley. While she says she didn't earn much during the first six months of her blog's life, she received her first $100 check from Google AdSense shortly after that point, when she was getting around 600 unique visitors a day. She now earns money from her blog-related consulting, as well.
[Industries With the Biggest Boosts in Hiring]
Sell Your Skills
Whether your expertise lies in social networking, editing, or web development, several new websites can help you find potential clients willing to pay you for your work. Elance.com, Odesk.com, and Guru.com make it easy to advertise your skills and find work, which you can do from the comfort of your home at all hours of the night. To get started, explore the websites to see what might be a good fit. You can also stick with a more traditional approach and use Craigslist.org, which allows users to post advertising for their services, ranging from household labor to music lessons.
Sell a Wacky Service
For those interested in a more unusual approach, the innovative website fiverr.com allows users to sell (and buy) services for $5. Current offerings include sketching a stylized portrait, writing a name on a grain of rice, and digitally restoring a photograph. It's one of the trendiest ways to make a quick buck for the internet-savvy; dozens of videos, websites, and blogs offer advice on how best to earn money off the site. The best advice? Since you're only going to make $5 a pop, sell a service that you can do easily and quickly.
Talk and Teach
Colleges, organizations, and companies are constantly on the lookout for new experts that can inspire an audience. If you've built up an expertise on a subject, perhaps through your blog, then consider branching out with some speaking gigs. Offer to talk for free at first to build up your reputation, and then a speakers' bureau can help connect you to paying gigs (for a cut of your fee).
[Resolutions That Will Save You Money]
Design T-Shirts
Companies such as CafePress.com allow people to design and sell their T-shirts for a cut of the profits. According to the company's website, some users earn over $100,000 a year. But it's not always easy: Jen Goode, who earns enough through CafePress to pay her mortgage each month, found success after a year and a half of long, sometimes 16-hour days. Her time is spent creating designs and then uploading them. She has uploaded about 2,500 designs, many of which are cartoon oriented, including the popular penguin series. For her, she says, the secret has been to make many different images that are steady sellers, as opposed to creating one or two megahits. Now, she says she doesn't need to put as much time into her shop because she has such a large inventory of designs.
Sell Other People's Products
Make-up companies such as Avon and Mary Kay are always looking for new sales representatives, as are other companies such as kitchen products seller Pampered Chef. "If you don't have to make a big investment to get into it, it's probably not a bad idea," says Marcia Brixey, author of "The Money Therapist." But she warns people to stay away from businesses that require sellers to make significant up-front purchases that they might not be able to unload.

The bottom line: The new economy offers plenty of creative ways to earn extra money; to find the best fit for you, consider your skills, lifestyle, and ambitions.

Soyinka Joins Ogun Governorship Race

Mr. Soyinka made this known at a press conference held at the party secretariat, Abeokuta, yesterday. The aspirant who is contesting for the ticket of the party for the third attempt, said he has resolved to remain committed to the party’s ideology in spite of his earlier loss, just as he gave credit to the leaders of the party. He rolled out his manifesto at the declaration, which covers health, education, agriculture, housing, poverty eradication, pension, industrialisation, women and youth development, childcare support and welfare of elderly, sports development, and safeguarding of treasured past.

The aspirant said he has the qualities it takes to rule the state successful, adding that the state at this point need a person of his status.

“That is why, with all humility and high sense of service, I, Oluwakayode Adedeji Soyinka, offer myself to our noble state as the man with all these attributes,” he said.

“And, therefore, with the grace of God and the support of our people, present myself for the job of the governor of Ogun State in 2011. I am a man of very high standards, simple lifestyle, single-minded, and highly focused. I have the ability to look at problems, analyse and find the most practical solutions to them, and seek new horizon for our people,” he added.

Sincere politician

Mr. Soyinka, who said Ogun State is one with a proud tradition and an unbeatable record of achievements, said: “I believe that Ogun State has a lot to gain from my wealth of national and international experience and clout.” The publisher of Africa Today magazine and politician said it was high time his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria {ACN}, flush out the ruling Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} from power.

“Kayode Soyinka is tailor-made for Ogun State governorship. This indeed is the unity candidate our great party needs to flush out the discredited PDP government from the state and bring the ACN back to recover our hold on and lost glory of our noble state,” Mr. Soyinka said

Chairman of the party, Tajudeen Bello, described Mr. Soyinka as a sincere politician, noting that despite his two earlier attempts which did not yield positive results, he did not take offence and was still committed to the party.

“Soyinka is a politician of and with honour,” he said. “He contested twice for the party governorship ticket, but didn’t get it, yet he is not disturbed nor take offence with anybody, but remains committed to the party. This is an indication that he is a genuine loyal member of the party, and deserves and qualifies to lead the party for the race,” Mr. Bello said.

Ever wondered what Tuface and DBanj will look like in old age? Well, wonder no more...

Ever wondered what Tuface and DBanj will look like in old age? Well, wonder no more...

Ha ha ha!
D'Banj is still one hell of a sexy old man...

Indian Farmer Is World's Oldest Dad-94 Years Old

A 94-YEAR-OLD Indian farmer is claiming to be the world's oldest dad.

Ramajit Raghav claims his wife Shakuntala, 59, gave birth to their son Karamjit just last month.

The couple have described the boy as "god's gift" — and aren't ruling out having more.

Ramajit said: "It is great that I have become the world's oldest dad.

"I am a strong follower of Lord Shiva. I wanted to have an offspring and prayed for him. This child is god's gift to me."

The proud father, who was a wrestler in his youth, puts his virility down to his high-calorie diet.
He added: "My daily diet comprises of three litres of milk, half a kilo of almonds and half a kilo ghee (clarified butter).

"I had visited a quack in the village and he gave me some tablets but I didn't take them and threw them away."

When asked whether he was worried about his child's future, Ramajit said he would still be playing with his son in a decade.

He added: "Nothing will happen to my child as I will die only if a black snake bites me and that is very far.

"Visit me after 10 years and you will find me in the same appearance."

It is unknown how many children Ramajit has.

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CHRIST EMBASSY: Worshippers Pay N1,000 To Enter Oyakhilome’s Church

Indigent members who could not afford the N1, 000 tickets, were denied access and sent back by security men at the gate, it was learnt. The church, a source said, realised about N25 million from about 25, 000 members who bought the tickets. It was gathered that the church informed its members that it decided to impose a gate fee to control the huge crowd that always besiege the church on the New  Year’s Eve church service.

“Pastor said that to control the crowd and only allow genuine members who could do anything to be in church, it was good to pay a gate fee. Last year for  instance, even senior pastors in the church could not secure a seat in the church on New Year’s Eve service,” our source said. The ticket, bought by our correspondent, was still on sale today, five days after the New Year’s church service took place.

A copy of the ticket has the following information printed on it: “one service…different locations worldwide impact! Time: 7 pm, Venue: Loveworld Convocation  Arena, N1,000, December 31st New Year’s Eve Service With Pastor Chris.” There is also a bold picture of Oyakhilome wearing one of his flashy suits. On the background there is a huge crowd in adulation of the man who once boasted  that he will never be broke in life.

At the back of the ticket is a bold inscription : “ This ticket admists one person.” The development, described as scandalous by those who got a glimpse of it, is unprecedented in the history of Christianity in Nigeria. In the medieval period, similar scandals led to the break-away of Martin Luther from the Catholic church. This led to the formation of the Protestant  movement.

At that time, Catholic priests were collecting money, known as indulgences, from worshippers before they could confess their sins. These indulgences had become big business in much the same way pledge drives have become big business in Nigeria. The development outraged Luther and others who kicked against it, quit the church and founded the protestant movement.

The latest scandal in Oyakhilome’s church comes only weeks after he appeared before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to answer questions  on money laundering allegations. According to TheNews magazine edition of 13 December 2010, the alleged laundering of $35 million by Christ Embassy was traced by the Economic and Financial  Crimes Commission with the help of foreign partners.

The magazine reported that Oyakhilome and money have had a bitter-sweet relationship. While money has brought  him a lush lifestyle: an eye-popping auto  collection, a movie-star wardrobe of  stylish suits and choice properties that include a stunning church auditorium, it  has also brought him an arm-long  list of scandals.
 

Ex INEC Boss, Iwu's daughter in NYSC Certificate Scandal

Daughter of the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, Mrs Ijeoma Nwafor, has been accused of forging her National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) discharge certificate and tax clearance.

Mrs. Nwafor is an aspirant for the seat of Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency in Imo State, under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

One of the petitions signed by one Francis Okoro alleged that Mrs. Nwafor, in her publicized profile and biography, showed that she was working on a full time basis in the United States of America (USA) the same period she claimed that she did her national youth service in Lagos State, Nigeria.

He further alleged that Mrs. Nwafor claimed to have served as a professor of Psychology at Harford Community College, Maryland, between 2004–2007 and an adjunct professor at Towson University her alma mater between 2003–2007, which also fall within the period she claimed to have served in Lagos.

While Okoro claimed that Mrs. Nwafor forged her NYSC certificate following the contradiction in her profile, another petitioner, who gave his name as Mr. Felix Nwaneri, alleged in his petition, also addressed to PDP screening committee, accused Nwafor of fraudulently acquiring tax clearance certificate.

courtesy Leadership Newspaper

Estonia joins eurozone despite turmoil

(CNN) -- Estonia became the newest member of the eurozone Saturday, adopting the euro for its official currency as the clock rang in 2011.
The country's Prime Minister Andrus Ansip hailed the currency changeover as economic good sense despite the turmoil across the rest of the eurozone.
"Estonia is the poorest country in the eurozone, so we have a lot of things to do also now after the goal of reaching the eurozone has been accomplished," Ansip said, according to Agence France-Presse.
Estonian bank branches have been exchanging the old currency -- the kroon -- to euros free of charge for the past month at a conversion rate of one euro for every 15.6466 kroons. The exchange will continue until June 30 and then at more limited branches until the end of next year.
The Estonian Central Bank, however, will exchanges kroons for euros for an unlimited time period.
The impending change sent many Estonians rushing to the bank, creating long queues all month with the average wait time increasing from 6 to 20 minutes, Ola Kallemur, the bank's press officer, said. Kallemur added that almost half of Estonian people and businesses have already switched to euros.
Estonia, a former Soviet republic, is the 17th nation to adopt the euro.
"Estonia's entry means that over 330 million Europeans now carry euro notes and coins in their pockets," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. "It is a strong signal of the attraction and stability that the euro brings to member states of the European Union."

"The single currency will provide a stable framework for the Estonian economy, which together with sound fiscal and macro-economic polices will create the basis for economic prosperity," said Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, said Friday.