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The broken bus adventure.

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Megabus © by wrestlingentropy

The Megabus died within spitting distance of the Lincoln Tunnel exit of the New Jersey Turnpike, close enough to see (and yearn after) the Empire State Building. We filed outside and stood or sat under a couple of trees, breathing in vehicle fumes mixed with air as humid as most oceans.

“It’s my birthday,” moaned one of the young women who was heading to the Big Apple with two friends to celebrate.

A skinny red-haired guy pulled out an equally skinny, almost triangular guitar and began strumming under his breath. One of the trio of young women noticed.

“Play us some music,” she ordered. “Do you know ‘Wobble Wobble’?”

Her friends snickered. The young man said, “No, I don’t know that one.” Instead, he launched into Bob Marley’s “Is This Love.” The birthday girl began to dance, one of her friends began filming with her smartphone, and other passengers stopped kvetching and began to listen.

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Good morning, Philadelphia.

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Rocky Statue © by jsalvino

I left my apartment at 1:20 p.m. Thursday and landed in Philly at about 7:20 a.m. Friday. During that time frame I got myself to the airport (bus, light rail), wrote my finalist essay for the PF Olympics (more on that in a minute), visited with my daughter during my three-plus-hour layover in Phoenix and slept a few hours on the plane.

In the 90 minutes since landing I’ve brushed my teeth, charged my laptop and phone, checked e-mail, and polished and sent off that essay. Thanks to all of you who voted, I did make it to the PF Olympics finals. All 16 finalists were given the same assignment:

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How to make money blogging.

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Plenty of people want to make money with blogs. Crystal Stemberger is someone who actually has. In the past year she has earned $6,000 to $23,000 per month with a handful of blogs plus work as a consultant, mentor and ad-sales manager.

Yep, she’s busy – but somehow she found time to write an e-book. Crystal recently released “How I Make Money Blogging: The Beginner’s Guide to Building a Money-Making Blog.”

If you’re at all interested in electronic earnings, this is a work you should read – and here’s your chance to win a copy or, failing that, to get $10 off the purchase price.

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A matter of timing.

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Kitchen Timer © by Cea.

The kitchen timer Mom gave me is working once more. It had met a clumsy yet oddly appropriate end about two years ago, when I knocked it off the counter and into the bucket of bleach water I was using to mop the floor.

I cried out in dismay, and later cried actual tears. Yes, it was just a timer. But it meant something to me. It was a gift from my mother, during a time when I couldn’t talk about what was going on in my life – but she knew what she saw, and she must have guessed that what she couldn’t see was much worse.

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Sweet smells for summer.

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2008 08 07 – 9079 – St Petersburg – Hermitage – Bathing Aphrodite and Eros © by thisisbossi

Much of the country has been baking in higher-than-normal summer temps. Stinking hot, in meteorological terms.

Days like those call for tepid showers or long, cool soaks. This week’s giveaway will help you along. They will also help you not to stink.

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High-stakes self-promotion.

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Jo Seated on the Old Sofa from © by cliff1066™

For the second year in a row I’m speaking at the Financial Blogger Conference. This year there’s something new going on: the “PF Olympics,” a competition for the best personal finance writing.

The competition is kind of like being on “Dancing With The Stars”: It doesn’t really matter whether your footwork is as good as the other couple’s. As with just about any Internet-based contest, the determining factor is how many votes you get.

An element of skill is involved, if you get to the finals. But I’m not there yet, so once again I’m asking for your help.

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