Thinking of Writing More Content for Examiner

I haven't written anything for Examiner in a while because I have been busy with blogging, AC from Yahoo!, Seed and my private clients. I feel a series building up within me about prescription drug abuse. I know this year there have been numerous drug bust of this kind and I am quite it will continue.

I am stuck right now of how I will approach the subject though. There is so much research to do with it and I definitely need to get the facts in order concerning the clinical, legal and street logistics of it all. *Sigh*

It will come together.

McNeil and Johnson & Johnson Need to Make a Change - Quickly

Over the last year three major Tylenol recalls occurred due to "trace amounts" of the chemical 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. This chemical, also known as TBA causes the musty or moldy smell contaminating the Tylenol lots that have been recalled over the past year. To learn more about TBA and research about the chemical read: Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 Count with EZ-Open Cap Recalled Nationwide. 

Have You Met Amy Faatz?

Amy joined Associated Content from Yahoo! May of this year and has written on a wide variety of subjects. Check her out! For those of you who enjoy reading those Snapple facts, check out her article  Snapple Fact#1: Is it Fact or Fiction.

Calling all Celebrity Writers - SEED Wants Your Resume

Wanna write bios of celebs like Angelina Jolie?

I was looking for assignments on Seed today and found one seeking Celebrity Biographers and Featured Writers for PopEater.

The assignment on Seed reads as follows: Due September 23, 2010 10:00am EDT

PopEater is looking for celebrity biography and hot topic writers!

We need some superstar writers to produce comprehensive biographies and features (rundowns of scandals, relationships, careers, etc.) about their favorite stars. Tone should be light and humorous where warranted but not overly negative/berating.

A good model of a PopEater Bio/Hot Topics page is this one for Angelina Jolie. Click on 'Read Her Bio' at the top to see her full biography and click on 'Hot Topics' to see features about her: http://www.popeater.com/celebrities/angelina-jolie

If you are referring to an event covered on a news Web site or in a magazine, please include the source you are referring to.

Bios should be 500-700 words. Hot Topics 300-500

Send resumes and clips to celebritywriters@aol.com

Blue Zone Living: Something My Culture has Forsaken

Today I was introduced to a concept called Blue Zone by Jaipi Sixbear. She highlighted 9 lifestyle principles that I realized my African-American culture used to live by 7 out of 9 of these principles. The people of my great-parents generation would live to see at least 90-years of age while the generations after were lucky to see 70, sometimes even 50.

I won't go into detail about these principles because I feel everyone should read this article the follow-up pieces. Once you read it, you may be surprised to find that this was the lifestyle lived by family or culture only a few generations back. Little by little I want to integrate these principles into my life so I can regain my health and maintain it. I don't know how far I will take it (being honest because I get distracted) but I will try.

I will mention one of the principles here because it is very important and I feel America as a whole has forgotten this: Family. I am not just referring to our immediate family, but our 1st, 2nd, 3rd , 4th cousins and beyond. During the summertime parks would be filled as families had their annual family reunions. This is would be something I would all summer long during the weekend. Now I only ever hear of a handful of these gatherings anymore. I am ashamed to admit that my family has dropped the ball on this family event as well. When I was younger I didn't want to be around a bunch of my older family members because I was a bit of brat, lol. Now that I am in my 30's I see how important such events are. Familes uniting together and working together as a single unit is something we all need to get back to.

Now I am done with that little tidbit. Go and read Jaipi's articles related to the Blue Zone life and start integrating it into your daily living.

Another Day, Another Dollar

Right now I am having a torrid love affair with Seed. I am snatching up some pretty easy assignments that are being purchased and they take me no more than 15 minutes each to write, proof and submit. I have mu last Shopping and Fashion FC assignment to write tonight. I am just stuck between two ideas that I may end up combining or doing one for AC and the other for *plug time* SJP Fashion News Updates.

While I decide I wanted to share a cute and funny Youtube video some freelance writer buddies of mine posted on Facebook today. It is hilarious and I have been singing it proudly all day driving people batty! So I hope you guys enjoy this song as much as I do. If you ♥ it, sing it at the top of your lungs so the world, maybe the neighborhood, will hear you!

Unemployed? SEED Needs Your Story

Seed.com is looking for stories from unemployed individuals. The pay is $50.00. If your story is accepted you will be paid the $50.00 and have your story published on AOL Jobs.


ASSIGNMENT NAME: My Unemployed Life

Site: AOL Jobs

Reporting needed: No, requesting personal stories. However, please back up claims with examples and statistics. For example, if you claim “DC has the highest unemployment rate…” back it up with figures.

Writing format and style:

o Please be opinionated, informal, playful, succinct and conversational (imagine you are telling your story to a group of people at a social gathering).
o Avoid superlatives. Instead of describing something as "wonderful / horrible" paint a picture of the "wonderful / horrible" situation with details (in other words "show" don't "tell"). 

For full details, signup at Seed.com and claim this assignment which ends September 9, 2010 12:00am, EDT

New Freelance Writers Page!

I just added a new page to Caramelde for freelance writer business websites and freelance writing resource sites. If you know of any resource sites you'd like added just provide the link in the comments section and it will be reviewed (I need to make sure it is not a scam site). Also, if you are a freelance writer with a freelance writing business website, send me the name, link and your slogan (if available) and I will add it to the page.

UNEMPLOYMENT AT IT'S WORST - EL CENTRO, CA

U.S. News & World Report's Rob Silverblatt reported on an American city in dire straits - El Centro, CA. El Centro has the country's worst unemployment at 27.6%. This city is a staggering 18.1% higher than the national average of 9.5%! Read the whole story by Rob Silverblatt here.

Some of us are trying to carve out a niche for ourselves in the midst of economic turmoil and also help one another out. Learn how others are trying to cope with the U.S. economy as it is by checking out Paying it Forward for Freelancer Writers and Freelancers Bringing Awareness to America's Economic Plight.

ShawnTe’s AVON eParty « Sunshine and Rain

The grand opening of my AVON eStore is underway. Check this out for more info, ShawnTe’s AVON eParty « Sunshine and Rain.

The AC Community: More Than a "Content Mill"

The Associated Content Model for Success

Associated Content is more than just a "content mill", it is a community of writers with generous spirits who are willing to help one another and anyone else out when we can. Kudos to Kyla Matton for letting the world know that, for all intent and purposes, "we are more than the sum of parts."

Bringing Awareness So We May Help One Another

Many Associated Content contributors have agreed to help one another and others during these trying economic times. Some agreed to write articles while other, like myself have agreed to post to our blogs to promote and increase awareness. There are three pages to this blog, the main blog and two others. The other two pages contain links to AC contributors and their work. Please take a little time to visit these two pages and play a role in the giving by investing a few minutes of your time and read.

Image: (c) 2010 Brandonc via Wikimedia Commons

I'm Back Into the Swing of Things!

A couple of days ago I wrote about my anxiety concerning writing for a certain place. I submitted my first article to them yesterday and it was approved today without being sent back to me. I handled it the way I said I would by first writing it the way I would any other article. I'm going to continue to do this from now on. Now I have 8 more articles to write today and two more blog posts to send out.

God is good, He is in control and I am loving it! Thanks to all who prayed for me!

Did the Credit Card Act of 2009 Drop the Ball on APR Increases?

Months before the Credit Card Act of 2009 went into full effect this year, credit card companies hiked the APR on millions of cardholders across the country. Now credit card companies can still raise cardholder's APR pretty much at will but it will only affect the future balance on the account, leaving the previous balance under the old APR. A small victory for cardholders, but it doesn't feel like much of a regulation in the long run.

Credit Card APR Increases; Did the Credit Card Act of 2009 Make a Difference?

WORK ANXIETY

Most people who have any type of work related anxiety typically have a 9 to 5 job at a brick and mortar establishment. However, a freelancer can have work related anxiety as well. I am experiencing it.

One of the places I freelance for pays ok, but the good part is they pay often. However, they expect a lot and the policies are so inconsistent that you can not be confident that each item you submit will be approved for payment. The people reviewing the work each have their own views about what your content should be and impose those views in their edits. As a result, I feel like it is a crap shoot for approval when I submit content.

This is why a feel axnious each time I attempt to write for this place. This month I really need to get over and get to writing for them because bills need to be paid dammit! Maybe admitting this anxiety will help me get it together. Or maybe I should create another strategy for dealing with this place. Let's see how writing the articles the same manner I would for any other client and then tweaking it for this specific client works?

Experiment is on. Pray for me all.

Geesh!

ETA: I don't edit my blog posts they are just raw how I feel at the moment, though I will spell check.

The Winter Storm That Could?

For the last few days the National Weather Service has reported of another major winter storm set to hit the Mid-Atlantic region Wednesday through Friday with today, Thursday seeing the brunt of it. Residents of Cecil County Maryland and New Castle County Delaware are waiting for this snow. Weather maps show the area covered in a pretty blue color that signifies snow in the area. I have to tell ya folks, this girl has only seen a few flurries so far.

Weather the snow falls or not is not a big deal for me personally. I have to admit this winter has been quite profitable for me. Each time a winter storm watch or warning is issued for the area I write about it and publish it. I rake in revenue fairly quickly on account of it. I have to wonder... is this storm trying to make a significant snowfall only to find out the temperatures may be a little too warm for it?

Right now it is 35 degrees in Elkton, Maryland with very fine precipitation falling. Some times a few flakes fall, but mostly just the liquid stuff. I have a funny image in my head of the snow being the Little Engine That Could, churning along saying, "I think I can! I think I can!" Dropping it's frosty pellets only to have them melt before they hit the ground. Poor little winter storm that could(n't).

I Want My Spring Chicken Back!

I hear people joke about not being a spring chicken anymore as they get older. This statement is true because as we get older, it seems things that were effortless in our teens and twenties require more energy in our thirties and beyond. However, I always had energy for dancing, even being a large woman, I could at least last three songs before I got seriously winded.

This weekend I had an eighties moment listening to David Bowie's "Modern Love" that changed the status quo...

As soon as I heard the song I couldn't help myself, I had to get up and dance. Half-way into the song I could no longer sing along with it! My breathing became labored and I was feeling tired. I kept dancing though I was thinking, "Girl, you better shape up!"