Create. Be Heard. Get Paid. Has nice ring to it & is a progressive new approach to journalism .... Am personally recommending it to talented friends & family and hope you'll also take advantage of this brand new opportunity if you've worked, or have always wanted to work, as a writer or photographer.

When you SIgn Up for Seed, you can view an updated list of available assignments. It's as if you've got a seat at the newsroom assignment desk (see: How it Works).

For example, they'll pay $25 for three surprising eco-friendly shots. If you're a photo buff, it's worth a shot.

The writing assignments give a word count, deadline – sometimes hours/sometimes weeks – and a price, anywhere from $10 for a quick piece to $300 for something more expansive.

You have to do the work up-front and there's no guarantee your work will be accepted by the network editors, but Seed has an online "Academy" loaded with tips and examples of content that pulls in an audience, so you can apply some of the same techniques.

Added bonus: It's a great way to get discovered, build a portfolio of published work and followers.

For more information & to get a better feel, check out the Seed blog.

Recently got a welcoming email from Alex Rudloff the founder of this new site. Also had a chance to sit in on a meeting with him this week. He seems like a terrific guy & the site -- emurse.com -- comes through on an important deliverable which we're talking about on radio stations nationwide today & covered on FOX 5 ... Creating a top-notch online resume AND an impressive looking hard copy. My favorite feature: the design options. Am particularly fond of "clean" & "royal" styles.

Wanted to publicly thank Etsy and Dennice Mankarious of Fringe in particular, with their help in providing props for our recent TODAY SHOW appearance and upcoming holiday-oriented segments. The "cowl" pictured above from Fringe is like nothing you've ever felt. Think there's one word to sum it up: Special. I brought it to Fox News Channel and shared with the make-up artists who knit, because knew they'd appreciate. The caliber of the yarn and the style is impeccable even by their high standards! Dennice relayed she made the piece wide, extra thick & extra long so you have many options.

The "capelets" are also STUNNING & vesatile.

Thank you again Etsy & Dennice and congratulations on your impressive endeavors in producing and marketing truly unique homemade gifts.

Here are links to the sites featured on this week's FOX 5 CYBEREDGE REPORT. If you're looking for a way to make your resume look top-notch, check out WWW.EMURSE.COM. Personally, was also thrilled to discover WWW.LOCALHARVEST.ORG. Hope helpful.

IF YOU HAVE A KNACK FOR SNAPPING SHARP PHOTOS, YOU CAN MAKE A FEW EXTRA BUCKS ONLINE, BY UPLOADING YOUR SHOTS TO "MICRO-STOCK" PHOTOSITES LIKE FOTOLIA.COM. FOTOLIA GIVES BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH MORE THAN 500,000 MEDIA BUYERS WORLDWIDE – FROM SMALL BUSINESSES AND DESIGN FIRMS TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST RECOGNIZABLE BRANDS. WHEN SOMEONE IN NEED OF STOCK PHOTOS DOWNLOADS AND BUYS YOUR SHOTS, YOU EARN A SMALL COMMISSION. COULD ADD UP. AND IF YOU NEED PHOTOS, THIS COULD BE AN AFFORDABLE OPTION WITH PHOTOS STARTING AT 14 CENTS EACH WITH SUBSCRIPTION.

WWW.FOTOLIA.COM

Related: Best Photos in the World **** Amazing Images from World Famous Photographers

If you're out of work or wondering if the grass is greener in another cube near you ... log on to GlassDoor.com. A web site where current and former employees of any organization can anonymously log on and spill the beans. Information shared includes job titles and salaries, ratings of the company's CEO and lists of pros and cons of working there. GlassDoor has over 21,000 companies listed on their site and some of the larger organizations have hundreds of reviews. It's really pretty eye opening, but you've got to make an anonymous post before you can see anything.

Money is tight ... so one of the last things cash-strapped consumers want to be faced with is an expensive car repair. And who knows if that estimate to fix your transmission was on the mark or absurdly high? RepairPal.com aims to take the guesswork out of car maintenance ... The site features independent and unbiased repair estimates and user ratings and reviews of local mechanics. And its "My Car" feature helps car owners keep track of routine maintenance, which may help you avoid a big fix in the first place.

There's also a FREE RepairPal app for the iPhone.

RELATED: TODAY SHOW - Cracking the Car Buying Code

Get alerts sent to you when "shovel ready" jobs & related positions emerge in your area. According to news reports, construction companies are hiring now to be well positioned for stimulus projects.... Maybe you, or someone you know, could benefit from this.

WalletPop.com has an ECONOMIZER area with tips & reviews on relevant deals. It's not always easy or quick to piece it all together. Here's good overall starting point to help with being more frugal on day-to-day basis. You know, that thing you always meant to do & now must .... Consider it a "Must Click."

I'm not suggesting this, but if you're thinking of getting your hair cut this weekend, you might be able to make a few bucks. Actually, more than few bucks if you've got long, untreated hair. I'm out;) We should point out, there are also charities like Locks of Love which has always warmed my heart.

SOME PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO PAY THEIR MONTHLY BILLS. SELLING HAIR ON SITES LIKE THEHAIRTRADER.COM IS JUST ONE OF THOSE UNUSUAL METHODS. OVER THE PAST FOUR MONTHS, THE SITE HAS SEEN A 20% UP-TICK IN ADS OFFERING HAIR FOR SALE. MOST HAIR IS REPORTEDLY SOLD FOR ABOUT $300 TO $900 ... THE LONGER THE HAIR, THE MORE IT IS WORTH AND UNTREATED HAIR IS ALSO LIKELY TO BRING IN BIGGER BUCKS. HAIR IS BEING USED IN ARTWORK, MAKE WIGS AND EVEN JEWELRY.

SOLD IN 143 DAYS

Everything featured on www.etsy.com is homemade -- from handknit blankets to handpainted furniture & handcrafted jewelry. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Warms my heart. High-tech meets hand-crafted.

With the recent failures of some banking institutions, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), has stepped in to make sure people receive money back when banks collapse. The FDIC recently rolled out a Deposit Insurance Awareness Campaign featuring personal finance expert Suze Orman.


The program includes an online tool to help consumers estimate coverage and learn about the benefits and limitations of deposit insurance. The estimating tool is available via www.myfdicinsurance.gov. Those without online access can get assistance from the FDIC by calling toll-free at (877) ASK-FDIC (275- 3342) .

Try the FDIC's EDIE the Estimator and follow the simple steps to make sure your money is 100 percent FDIC protected.

For money saving tips and to read the latest on the proposed $700 billion economic bailout plan, go to www.walletpop.com.

UNLESS YOUR HAVE SPOTLESS CREDIT, WORKING THROUGH A BANK CAN BE AN UPHILL BATTLE ... THERE'S AN INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE ONLINE ...

Old way: Pick up the phone and call your bank or log on to sites like Bankrate.com to compare rates/lenders and see if you qualify.

New way: Peer-to-peer lending online.

Peer-to-peer lending is a relatively new trend – people turning to perfect strangers vs. banks for loans to buy houses, start companies, pay off student loans or credit cards, etc. on one of the most innovative sites out there: Prosper.com. They certainly seem to be onto something with loan volume growing to over $130 million consisting of 620,000 "individuals." Pretty good interest rates for both borrowers and lenders and priceless for people in a bind

We'll be revisiting this exceptional site with Matthew Blades on the radio. Prosper.com is peer-to-peer lending. Meaning you lend me the money & I pay you back. Plenty of checks & balances in place, but no banks. Their tagline is terrific: "Let's Bank on Each Other."

Loan rates can be as low as 7.68% .... Really savvy lenders are helping people, managing their risk and yielding 11%+ returns. Right now, one man is looking for money for a new kitchen for his wife; some store owners need to purchase summer inventories; there are students seeking to pay off loans; wannabe first-time homeowners .... To see it is to believe it ....

Comprehensive WIRED article. Related WalletPop.com Opinion here.

My dad has a great line about shopping -- "If you don't go to the store, you don't know what you don't have." Excellent point & it got me thinking, "What if there was only ONE store?" Perhaps this would be it ... The Vermont Country Store -- Purveyors of the Practical & Hard to Find."

After all, have everyday staples really improved that much over time? With the exception of electronics (as I type with iPhone at side), am thinking of going retro in 2008.

I recently ordered a few things from this site/catalog & enjoyed thumbing through the pages.