November Writing Goals

Hey, if they are public, I might work a little harder at them:

*Double the number of page views at my today.com blog

*Reach the 25 article mark at Suite101

*Finish a second draft of my children’s book

*Write 5 articles for BrightHub

*Make at least one sale at BellaOnline

I guess I am off to rest up before I start plucking away at these.

Vaccine Recommendations

I can’t walk into a store this year without seeing signs for flu and pneumonia shots. I work part-time doing administrative work for flu shot clinics for senior citizens, and the most common questions I get are about how often people should get flu and pneumonia shots.

The confusion is understandable. Both vaccines have been around for decades, but the recommendations have changed a number of times. Vaccines are one of the foundations of public health. If you could avoid getting either of these illness, why wouldn’t you? I for one would rather get jabbed in the arm once than be stuck in bed sick for a week. For BellaOnline, I have written two articles containing information on both of these vaccines.

Flu Shot Recommendations

Pneumonia Shot Recommendations

If you are at all in doubt, talk to your physician.

Midweek Rant: iPod People

Okay, I love my iPod as much as the next person. It is perfect for drowning out background noise on my bus rides and providing me entertainment on my long walks. However, should I run into a friend or need to have a conversation with a person, I have a habit of turning off my iPod and taking off my headphones.

Apparently, I am in the minority. The high school students I pass are often standing around in groups talking, each listening to their own iPod. How much listening can they really be doing if they are listening to music at the same time? These individuals never take their headphones off. Now, I understand the desire to have your life set to music, but a few people are taking this too far.

So please, enjoy your music when you are alone or in need of drowning out others, but if you are actually hanging out with people or having (gasp) a conversation, remove your headphones and enjoy the sound of your friends’ voices.

Product Reviews

As I have graduated from the initial training phase of BellaOnline, I am starting to work on setting up some product reviews on the site. On Saturday, I proudly posted my first product review. Why proudly? I was able to recommend a product that I feel is really worth the time. Gaiam’s Covered Resistance Cord workout really is one of the best workouts I have ever had.

I was out looking for a workout video that I could do at home that would help me tone my muscles. I am trying to prepare for the coming months when I will be attending a reunion and getting married. I don’t have a lot of free time to get ready, drive to the gym, work out, and come home, so I was looking for something I could do in my living room whenever I had free time.

I happened across the Gaiam Covered Resistance Cord workout and was easily convinced to purchase it. The set came with the resistance cord and a DVD. The DVD has 3 different 20 minute workouts designed to tone your entire body. I got the product home and immediately tried it. I couldn’t even finish the first workout.

A few weeks later, I can do almost everything in the workouts and I am very pleased with the results that I have been getting. My upper body especially is really feeling all the hard work. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. For more information on this product, please see my review on BellaOnline.

Have a product you would like reviewed? I am looking for items to review for upcoming articles on both BellaOnline and Suite101. If you have or know of a product you think would be great please contact me at coffeerequiredwriter AT gmail DOT com or leave a comment.

Editor’s Choice Award!

I just received an email that my latest article on Suite101 received an Editor’s Choice Award. So far, this is my 3rd such award. Whenever I receive one of these award, it makes me so happy. I like to think that it means that I am actually doing something right. Unlike some of the other writers at Suite101, my articles have not made me a ton or money nor do they get thousand of page views. I am being patient, but I also know that my chosen topic is not going to make me rich.

Demand Studios

For the past few months I have been writing for a company called Demand Studios. Demand Media runs a bunch of websites that they need content for. Writers and film maker can apply to create this content. Initially, writers are approved to write for Ehow, but they can also be approved for sites like Livestrong and Trails. I enjoy writing for them because the work is steady and they always pay on time.

My Brown Thumb

I love looking at people’s beautiful gardens full of blooming flowers that are perfectly coordinated. I believe one of the reasons I love this so much is because I could never do it. Living things, aside from people and dogs, do not seem to last long around me. Sure, I would love to have multiple blooming plants scattered throughout my home, but sadly that will never happen. This conclusion was only reinforced when I discovered that I have killed my cactus. The only real plant in the house and I managed to kill it.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

When I was a kid, Halloween always meant trick-or-treating. I grew up in a cold climate, so our Halloween costumes always had to fit over snow suits. My mom would often drive my brother and I up and down the block to make sure we didn’t get too cold in between houses. I always came home with both a bag full of candy and a box full of change for UNICEF.

Why I Love Suite101

Suite101 is an excellent site for both new and veteran freelance writers. This site allows you to hone your web writing skills while building a stream of revenue. The editors that I have worked with have all been fantastic and are friendly and supportive.

HIV in Zambia

My newest article on Suite101 is on HIV in Zambia. I love doing the research for this kind of article. While the devastation HIV/AIDS has caused in sub-Saharan Africa, I also see so much hope in the work being done.

After spending a semester in South Africa, the whole continent has stolen my heart. The media tends to leave us with a view that everything in Africa has gone haywire and that there is very little hope. There is in fact more hope than anything else. Policies are adjusting and lots of amazing people are doing great work.