There’s no get-rich-quick scheme when it comes to blogging. Creating a website, building an audience and eventually garnering revenue is an exhausting process — which is why most successful blogs are labors of love. A good blog stems from an unwavering desire to do the thing you most enjoy and share it with the world.

Lauren Lilling had a degree in finance, but Wall Street just wasn’t cutting it for her. A year after starting her blog, Keep It Sweet Desserts, Lilling left the world of finance and devoted her time to a new business: a blog and “e-bakery” where users can order treats like her seasonally appropriate “Matzo-crack” salted chocolate matzo.

Like any savvy business owner, Lilling drew on what she knew. “As someone who worked in finance prior to starting a business, I was able to use skills from my previous career, leverage the social media buildup I had from blogging and build on the relationships in both places,” she says.

Babette Pepaj runs TECHmunch, a conference for food bloggers to help them do  what Lilling has done. Pepaj travels around the U.S. to help food bloggers make their work more financially rewarding, she says.

“The unsuccessful bloggers I’ve seen are the ones who are short-term planners,” says Pepaj. Most important, she says, is keeping the blog active to attract interest from advertisers: “You can’t expect a brand to look at your blog that hasn’t been updated in four weeks and think your community is engaged,” she says.

Tips for making a blog into a career:

•    Have a clear focus. In this case, casting a wider net will not necessarily get you a wider audience.
•    Be patient, but be persistent. The money isn’t going to come rolling in, but regular posting and diligence will certainly help.
•    Use social media. Utilize different platforms in order to promote your brand and drive traffic to your site.

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Fifteen-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban in October and brought to Britain for treatment, was discharged on Thursday but is due to be re-admitted in late January or early February for reconstructive surgery to her skull, doctors said.

The shooting of Yousufzai, in the head at point blank range as she left school in the Swat valley, drew widespread international condemnation.

She has become a an internationally recognized symbol of resistance to the Taliban’s efforts to deny women education and other rights, and more than 250,000 people have signed online petitions calling for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism.

Doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where Yousufzai was treated said that although the bullet hit her left brow, it did not penetrate her skull but instead travelled underneath the skin along the side of her head and into her neck.

She was treated by doctors specializing in neurosurgery, trauma and other disciplines in a department of the hospital which has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery,” said Dave Rosser, the hospital’s medical director.

“Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home.”

Yousufzai has already been leaving the hospital on a regular basis on “home leave” in recent weeks to spend time with her parents and younger brothers, who have a temporary home in central England, Rosser said.

“During those visits assessments have been carried out by her medical team to ensure she can continue to make good progress outside the hospital,” Rosser said.

Yousufzai’s father said in October he was sure she would “rise again” to pursue her dreams after medical treatment.

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Why can’t we stop eagerly staring at photoshopped pictures of this beloved movie nanny and this sassy British songstress combined to create one hilarious, jolly character?

What is it that makes each photo more entertaining than the last — and why is this even a real thing?

We’re not entirely sure, but we know we want more of it — and we’re not alone. The brand new blog has already garnered an impressive following.  Why, you ask?

You can’t understand, until you see it for yourself:

(Photos via Tumblr)

The post PHOTOS: Why we love Adele as ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ appeared first on Metro.us.

The spokesman said in a statement that 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai, whose shooting has drawn widespread condemnation, will require prolonged care to fully recover physically and psychologically.

An air ambulance transporting Yousufzai, provided by the United Arab Emirates, had departed from Islamabad and was heading for the United Kingdom, said the spokesman.

“The panel of doctors recommended that Malala be shifted abroad to a UK center which has the capability to provide integrated care to children who have sustained severe injury,” said the spokesman in a statement.

An attack by about 50 militants on a police outpost near the large northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday night highlighted Pakistan’s struggle to contain the Taliban and its allies. At least six policemen were killed.

Yousufzai, a cheerful schoolgirl who had wanted to become a doctor before agreeing to her father’s wishes that she strive to be a politician, has become a potent symbol of resistance against the Taliban’s efforts to deprive girls of an education.

Pakistanis have held some protests and candlelight vigils but most government officials have refrained from publicly criticising the Taliban by name over the attack, in what critics say is a lack of resolve against extremism.

Opponents of Pakistan’s government and military say the shooting is another example of the state’s failure to tackle militancy, the biggest threat to the stability of the nuclear-armed South Asian country.

The shooting of Yousufzai was the culmination of years of campaigning that had pitted the young girl against one of Pakistan’s most ruthless Taliban commanders, Maulana Fazlullah.

Fazlullah and his faction of the Pakistani Taliban took over Yusufzai’s native Swat Valley in 2009 after reaching an agreement with the government which gave them de facto control of the former tourist spot.

Fazlullah imposed the Taliban’s austere version of Islam there, blowing up girls’ schools and publicly executing those deemed immoral. The army later launched a major offensive in Swat, forcing many Taliban fighters to flee.

MELTED AWAY

Fazlullah’s men simply melted away across the porous border to Afghanistan. Earlier this year, they kidnapped and beheaded 17 Pakistani soldiers in one of several cross-border raids that have become a new security headache for Pakistan.

Yousufzai continued speaking out despite the danger. As her fame grew, Fazlullah tried everything he could to silence her. The Taliban published death threats in the newspapers and slipped them under her door. But she ignored them.

The Taliban say that’s why they sent assassins, despite a tribal code forbidding the killing of women.

Taliban sources said Fazlullah ordered two men specialising in high-profile assassinations to kill Yousufzai.

Pakistan’s Taliban, who are linked to al Qaeda, has been fighting for years to topple the U.S.-backed government and establish the kind of rule they imposed in Swat.

The United States and other Western allies who give Pakistan billions of dollars in aid have been pushing Islamabad to crack down harder on the Taliban, al Qaeda and other groups that have formed a complex web of militancy.

Pakistan says Western criticism of its performance is unjustified, and that it has sacrificed more than any other country that joined the U.S. war on militancy after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed.

The attack on Yousufzai has angered many Pakistanis, raising questions over whether the incident could sharply turn public opinion against the militants and give the military a big edge.

But many experts argue the war on militancy can only be won if the government strengthens the fragile economy and creates jobs to ensure that fewer people join radical groups who exploit disillusionment with the state.

The Taliban struck again on Sunday night, attacking the police outpost near Peshawar with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire. Security officials said at least six policemen were killed, including two who were beheaded.

Seven policemen are still missing and presumed kidnapped. Several police cars and an armoured vehicle were torched.

The Taliban has been blamed for many suicide bombings across Pakistan and have also staged sophisticated, high-profile attacks on the military, one of the biggest in the world.

Pakistan’s interior minister said police had despatched guards to protect journalists who had been threatened by Taliban militants angered by coverage of Yousufzai’s case.

The Taliban, based mostly in the unruly ethnic Pashtun tribal areas near the Afghan border, have said they would now try to kill her father, a headmaster of a girls’ school in Swat.

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One of the victims of the gunman who opened fire into the crowd of people watching a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises,” was Jessica Ghawi, a young sports journalist who had narrowly escaped a similar mass shooting at Toronto’s Eaton Centre in June.

Ghawi (who goes by Jessica Redfield online) wrote on her blog June 5 about the experience of cheating death, describing her sudden urge to get fresh air before a gunman opened fire in the exact area where she had been just moments before.

Her Twitter account shows a back and forth with a follower yesterday about her plans to see the newest Batman film. The final tweet she sent before she was killed last night at the Aurora, C.O. theater said, “THE MOVIE DOESN’T START FOR 20 MINUTES.” 

The Colorado shooter, dressed in black and a gas mask, threw a can of tear gas into the theater about 20 minutes after the film started. He then sprayed the crowd with bullets, killing Ghawi and at least 11 others and injuring dozens of people.

Ghawi had shared in her blog after the Eaton shooting that she discovered a new-found appreciation for life:  

I say all the time that every moment we have to live our life is a blessing. So often I have found myself taking it for granted. Every hug from a family member. Every laugh we share with friends. Even the times of solitude are all blessings. Every second of every day is a gift. After Saturday evening, I know I truly understand how blessed I am for each second I am given.

The suspect in last night’s shooting, 24-year-old James Holmes, was arrested by police who found
him standing near his car after crowds of people fled from the theater.

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Filmmaker Jeremiah McDonald apparently caught the video bug at an early age and recorded himself at age 12 asking questions directed to himself in the future. Twenty years later, McDonald sat down for a candid conversation with… himself.

The contrast between the adolescent McDonald and the adult McDonald is charming and touching, and serves as a reminder that we were all kids once and, perhaps, still kids at heart.

The video is edited as a hilarious back-and-forth between the two Jeremiahs. Young Jeremiah asks the older Jeremiah whether his pets are still alive, while adult Jeremiah is reminded by his younger counter-part that he once had a love for drawing. Their banter is heart-warming.

“You’re interviewing yourself, look at you!” the young Jeremiah cries, before he lets out a burp.

“Oh, charming. No wonder I’m single,” adult Jeremiah responds.

Adult Jeremiah leaves his younger self with words of wisdom from “Dr. Who,” which they both love: “Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead.”

Check out the entire video below and get in touch with your own inner kid.

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Zimmerman has been in hiding since a media frenzy sparked following Martin’s death on February 26. Now, through the website TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com, he offers a statement about his role in the incident and asks for financial support.

“I am the real George Zimmerman,” he begins. “As a result of the incident and subsequent media coverage, I have been forced to leave my home, my school, my employer, my family and ultimately, my entire life. This website’s sole purpose is to ensure my supporters they are receiving my full attention without any intermediaries.”

A Paypal account is attached to the website. Zimmerman says any donations will go toward “living expenses and legal defense” in lieu of his “forced inability to maintain employment.”

The website includes a section labeled “The Facts.” Where one might expect to see Zimmerman’s interpretation of the incident, instead a quote from author James W. Loewen is posted: “People have a right to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight.”

Below it is another short statement from Zimmerman thanking friends for aid and support and for understanding that he cannot discuss the details of “the event on February 26th.”

“Once again, I thank you for your patience and I assure you, the facts will come to light,” Zimmerman promises.

In another section of the website titled “My Race,” Zimmerman includes two more quotes, including this one from Thomas Paine: “The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.”

The website’s “album” includes a photo of a spray-painted message on a brick wall that reads “Long Live George Zimmerman.” According to the Huffington Post, the wall belongs to Ohio State University’s black cultural center. Another photo on the site shows a hand-written sign that reads “Justice For Zimmerman.”

A special prosecutor assigned to the case has dismissed the possibility of a grand jury’s involvement. Zimmerman has not been charged and remains free, though his request for donations could suggest that he is expecting charges in the future.

The post George Zimmerman launches website for donations toward legal fees, living expenses appeared first on Metro.us.

East Village residents who complain about the bacon smell emanating from IHOP may soon breathe easier.

The owner of the 14th Street eatery, Ed Scannapieco, told The Times that he plans to invest $40,000 in a “smog-hog,” a piece of machinery that is used for cleaning air and extracting fumes.

“It knocks down virtually all of the odor and almost all the noise,” Scannapieco said. “It’s a commitment. And one that we’re glad to make.”

A crane might be needed to install the smog-hog, but Scannapieco said he hopes to have it up and running in the next six weeks.

Metro’s original story is below…

Long before Park Slope moms were moaning about ice cream in Prospect Park, East Village residents were complaining about a perpetual stench coming from the IHOP on East 14th St.

That stench? Bacon.

Yes, the sweet scent that typically spreads smiles as it wafts across a kitchen and is rumored to make men fall in love with just one whiff, has become a bane of existence for neighbors living behind IHOP.  

The controversy over the diner actually began sizzling when it opened back in September. IHOP recruited a bouncer in anticipation of rowdy, drunk crowds during the overnight hours. While lingering rift raft is still a source of complaints for residents, the bacon stench coming from the restaurant has resurfaced as a topic of conversation on East Village blog EV Grieve. One neighborhood dweller said the odor became so offensive that moving was the only option.

“I literally had to move out and find someone to rent the apartment to. No one would buy it. Everybody said it smells like bacon,” said one reader whose comment was posted on the blog. “The new tenant says it doesn’t bother him so much, but I don’t think he is home too much — plus he’s been there for winter only, we’ll see what happens when he starts opening his windows.”

Neighbors claim the smell will permeate for days at a time.

“Right now, it’s a low-level stale smell,” said another reader. “My neighbors and I have repeatedly contacted CB6, the DEP, Rosie Mendez’s office, you name it — IHOP is still stinking up the neighborhood.”

Residents also said IHOP attracts “dangerous-looking customers” and loud noise during the early morning hours. Combine those complaints with the persistent pork pong and we can’t help but wonder: Is IHOP greasing itself up for an East Village revolt?

The post IHOP will install ‘smog-hog’ to rid East Village of bacon smell (UPDATE) appeared first on Metro.us.

Using a grid of the city streets and avenues and the labMT word list, which includes a variety of words from “ecstasy” to “grief,” bloggers found west side neighborhoods to have a higher happiness level than their east side counterparts.

The happiest place in all of Manhattan, though, is, no surprise, attached to Central Park — along the western edge, which would be the intersection of 7th and 77th street, to be exact. That spot had the most tweets with words indicating happiness like “loves” and “sky” and less tweets with negative words like “fear,” “not,” and “no” — which leads us to ask how a tweet like “Loving the blue sky today. No fears about rain, not one cloud” might be categorized, but the bloggers acknowledge that the study isn’t scientifically sound.

Most of the city’s other happy spots also fall in Central Park, but there are little bursts of joy scattered among each corner of NYC. Check out this heat map and see just how much happiness is floating around at your intersection.

The post Where to find the happiest corner in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

Freddie Pikovsky and his small, but well-traveled team of three other full time staffers, have set out to answer those questions with the launch of Off Track Planet, a blog-turned-magazine, aimed at young explorers on a budget.

The Brooklyn-based publication is now in its fourth print issue, with copies sold for $4.95 at Barnes & Noble and on college campuses across the United States. Metro caught up with Pikovsky, co-founder and CEO of OTP, to hear about the trip that inspired it all, why it’s easier to hire younger writers and what it means to be young, sexy and broke.

Metro: How was Off Track Planet born?

Pikovsky: Four years ago, I took my first trip abroad. I started in Israel and made my way through Western Europe to Greece, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.  It was life changing to see how other people lived their lives. I came home to LA and I was on a mission to inspire other people to travel the world because I felt it would create positive change to see life through others. I realized there was nothing connecting independent youth travel to an audience in the US., so I decided to come up with something edgy and truthful. I moved to NYC, where I spent my first year living and working at a youth hostel in Brooklyn, then began to develop a team.  

What is the “young, sexy and broke” theme all about?

I qualify anybody who is young to be automatically sexy. Broke means you might still be living off your parents or you’re not able to afford luxury cruises and five star hotels. You want to do it and you can, but in a fashion that is very low budget. A lot of the topics are about sex culture and party culture around the world. It’s easy to say we’re edgy, but we are trying to get their attention and the way we relate is that we are truthful about what’s at the top of the list when you’re a young traveler.

What kind of information can travelers expect to find in Off Track Planet?

We do tips and advice, best destinations on a budget — not just destinations for budget travelers, but we will talk about going to expensive places on a budget. We write about the sexiest people from different countries, movies you should see before you travel to a country and how to haggle. We brand a lot of things we do, like the “What the F—” section, which is anything that you’d say that would cause somebody to react that way. We use it to discuss cultural issues.

What has the response from readers been like?

People love us because we are so honest. We are taking traditional travel writing and turning it upside down in the sense that most writers typically paint a very beautiful picture. We like to be more risky and very upfront and honest because that’s what this generation really responds to. We have a high demand from people who want to write for us, but we tend to work with younger kids in college who haven’t done actual travel writing. It’s easier than re-training a travel writer in the new style that we use.

What’s next?

We really set out to create more movement around the world. One of the most rewarding things is that we’ve been able to accomplish that. We get emails from people who decided to take on volunteer programs or travel abroad. We hope we are on the right path and continue to grow.

Co-founders Freddie Pikovsky and Anna Starostinetskaya.

Follow Cassandra Garrison on Twitter @CassieatMetro

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