Ghostwriting - Making Money by Being Invisible
May 31, 2008
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family room, from floor to ceiling. It shows my eclectic reading tastes… fiction, non-fiction, Harry Potter next to murder mysteries and metaphysical literature. Also there are books I’ve written for the business sector - on negotiation, writing letters, communication skills, real estate sales and a lot more. The business books, however, have other people’s names on them. I’m merely the ghostwriter.
These days, I’ve moved from writing fiction and being a ghostwriter to a new career as an information marketer on the Internet. (What is an “information marketer”? Just what it sounds like. I do extensive research to find out what information people are searching for, and then I find a way to create it, package it and sell it to them. It’s a bit like ghostwriting, really, except that I’m doing it for myself instead of someone else.)
My experience as a ghostwriter was invaluable for doing what I’m doing now. So was my experience in writing fiction. Fiction writers make excellent ghostwriters, because they use their skills to bring scenes and people to life in non-fiction. You see, people love to read about people.
Not things.
Music and Emotion
May 31, 2008
The Age-old Puzzle of Human Response
If you’ve listened to more than a little music, you’ve most likely received an emotional reaction from some of it. You’ve probably noticed that whenever that happens, the effect is initially unexpected and varies in its intensity. Its also a safe bet that you cannot truly explain or define why it affected you.
You might be listening to a Symphonic work, a Jazz combo, something Country or a Folk song. Whatever the style, it becomes obvious that certain musical creations are able to communicate in a way that transcends the moment.
Those with a broad and varied interest in music soon discover that not all music is equal. Some of it may simply be functional, contrived, uninspiring and produce little or no emotional reaction. Other music may call forth a few emotional moments here and there but you find yourself wishing for more.
Then, there are those truly inspiring musical creations that lift one out of oneself, somehow transporting the listener in a way that defies explanation.
The Birds and the Bees for Adults (Parrots, That Is!)
May 31, 2008
The days are getting longer, and if you have a sexually mature parrot, there may be some major sexual stuff going on - and you might not even know it!
A lot of people believe sexual behavior in adult parrots means they now need to be put in a breeding situation - not true! While there are a FEW birds who truly are not happy as pets and desperately want a mate and babies, they are very much in the minority. For most birds, it’s simply a few months of mother Nature’s influence, which then passes, revealing your loving companion once again. While some birds do become aggressive at this time, the majority do not. In a true breeding situation, with a bonded pair and a nest box, you will of course, see aggressive, territorial behavior, but generally not so much in single birds in our homes. Some birdies exhibit “selective aggressiveness,” depending on the situation and environment.
Friendly Critiques
May 31, 2008
When a writer is working on their next literary masterpiece the first opinions to be asked for are usually those of the writer’s family and friends. But often when we ask for a friendly critique we get more than we anticipated.
I remember asking my family what they honestly thought of my writing. My daughter and two oldest sons were careful not to hurt my feelings. My youngest son honestly declared that I am definitely not a poet. My husband bluntly told me that my writing put him to sleep but he thought that was a good thing especially when he had insomnia.
A couple of my friends insisted that everything I wrote was absolutely wonderful! Of course, that was a dead give away as to their honest opinion. Another of my friends didn’t know a critique from a competition. Every time I asked for her opinion she automatically went into compete mode. The worst part was that she never did critique my work one way or the other. As soon as I would ask for her opinion on something I wrote she would just start bragging about her house, car, kids, husband and anything else she could think of. As you can probably figure, I stopped asking for her opinion.
Acclimating New Birds
May 30, 2008
Now that my services have expanded into the “matchmaking” business, it dawned on me that we need to talk about the transition of a bird moving to a new home, whether a hand fed baby just adopted to a new home or an older bird going to a second home. This is a stressful time for any bird, but you can help lessen the strife and make the move easier for both your new bird and the rest of the family.
Good planning ahead of time is essential. A pet parrot should NEVER be an impulse buy. Adopting a companion parrot is just that - ADOPTING a new family member - they’re not used cars to be traded in when you get bored! They are living, feeling, sensitive beings who should always be considered PERMANENT additions to the family.
I’ll never forget the first local bird expo I went to after moving to the Northwest. It was winter - cold and rainy, and I saw a person after person exiting the expo, each with a tiny baby African Grey tucked under their coats. There was a vendor inside with lots of cute baby Grays and a cheap price - apparently, many folks couldn’t resist. Since no one seemed to have brought a carrier, it didn’t seem to me that these were “planned” purchases, but rather spur of the moment purchases.
Bird Watching Journals - Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences
May 30, 2008
Bird Watching Journals - Preserve Your Bird Watching Experiences
by: Rick Chapo
Bird Watching is a great way to escape the rat race and be one with nature. Alas, your bird watching experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a bird watching journal for your sightings and trips.
Bird Watching Journals
Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent bird watching experience. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about the first time you ever went bird watching. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with, every bird sighted and so on. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you had kept a bird watching journal, this wouldn’t be the case.
There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your bird watching experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.
Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives
May 30, 2008
For best health, it is important to keep your environment as chemical free as possible. With better weather coming up, consider this:
Many people do not realize that using pesticides and weed killers on lawns can cause health problems for your children and animals, as they often are on the lawn daily in the summer.
Some pesticide studies have raised concerns about the connection between pesticide exposure and childhood brain cancer and leukemia. Also impaired development of the reproductive system and neurological and developmental problems.
Both children and pet’s body composition is smaller for the amount of chemical they are exposed to, so the health threat is bigger for them. Of course, it is not good for you as an adult, either.
For a safe alternative to weed killers, try vinegar. Yes, the vinegar you have sitting in your kitchen cupboard.
You can use straight household vinegar and put it in a spray bottle, and spray that on the weeds you find in your yard and garden. You could also add a little dish soap to the vinegar, which will help the mixture to stick to the weeds.
Wanted! Adventurous Guests Looking For a New Experience on a Royal Caribbean Cruise
May 30, 2008
Wanted! Adventurous guests looking for a new experience on a Royal Caribbean Cruise! Royal Caribbean Cruise line is known to be a leading, innovative cruise vacation company that offers new experiences, a wide array of choices, and great vacation value for active singles, couples and entire families looking for exciting adventures.
The activities onboard their ships are endless, and you can spend all day rock climbing or ice-skating if you desire. As you spend your days on deck soaking up the sun or swimming in the pools, you will notice it could not be more casual, and you will fit right in wearing your comfortable sports clothes and resort wear.
As you decide whether to sail the Western, Eastern, or Southern Caribbean, the experience will be equally refreshing and unique. The western islands offer tropical paradise settings, with spectacular waterfalls, rich culture, complex histories, archaic ruins, rain forests, and beaches.
The Eastern Caribbean offers relaxing white-sand beaches, and gorgeous turquoise waters. If your looking for a Caribbean adventure, you will find yourself parasailing high above, where you can easily view stunning mountains and unspoiled beaches as far as the eyes can see. For the nature lovers, you can spend the day having hours of fun at the Dolphin Encounter.
Why Should You Use Worksheets For Proofreading?
May 29, 2008
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open their eyes to the mistakes that are commonly made. These are used to help teach a person how to spot mistakes in copy. They are similar to those you got as a child when you were learning to write and read. Sometimes, they can be simple, while other times they are progressively more difficult. It is important to use these worksheets as part of your training to become a qualified proof reader.
It may sound strange that you would want to do these worksheets, but in fact, it helps you learn how to spot errors from just glancing at a page. There are errors that are very common, that many people make in spelling. Often times, other mistakes come from typing the wrong key or typing too fast. In proof reading, it is your job to spot these errors and correct them. Also, one of the more difficult tasks that the proof reader needs to do is to spot grammatical errors. So, it is important to know the words that people often misuse. This could be simple mistakes like misspelling then instead of than. Or, they could be using the wrong tense of a word.
Essential Fatty Acids for Parrots
May 29, 2008
You may be hearing more talk these days about “Essential Fatty Acids” (E.F.A.s) and our birds need for them in the diet. (That word “essential” is the giveaway, right?”) So, what are they and how to we supply them?
We all hear a lot about “good” fat and “bad” fat - basically, the bad stuff comes from animal sources, is saturated, and hard on arteries and cholesterol levels, while the good stuff comes from plant sources, is unsaturated, actually GOOD for cardiovascular health and lowers cholesterol. Well, Essential Fatty Acids are the best of the good!
So, let’s get technical for a minute - fats (chemically known as lipids) are the most concentrated source of energy found in the diet. I won’t go into the classification of fats here, but only cover the Essential Fatty Acids that wd are concerned with our parrots at the moment.
Basically, fatty acids differ in saturation and chain length. “Essential” fatty acids are those not synthesized by the body, so must be supplied, therefore, by the diet. There are three - Linoleic, Linolenic, and Arachidonic (are you board yet?).
