Turning Silver into Gold - Mary Furlong

Turning Silver Into Gold - How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace, by Mary Furlong

---

You can read abut the book and boomers on Amazon. I want to talk about Mary Furlong. Authors are always more interesting than their books. Dr. Mary S. Furlong has advised Preisdent Clinton ( Politics had to come in somewhere. besides, that's what piqued my interest. ), Congress, the AARP, and corporate clients including IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Procter & Gamble, and Microsoft.

And what exactly did this 'advise' involve? I dug into the good doctor a little more. Basically what she ( and her firm ) does is to provide data regarding boomer trends and polling data. Quote "Mary Furlong’s book has a social heart as well as a business sense. She is trying to assist people who are in business, but not simply for the sake of exploiting a market. Adding value to life is as important to her as it is to us at AARP"

She's also featured here. Seems to me like a lot of hype and packaging in return for, uh...whatever it is boomers are looking for. Still, there's no debating that she's highly successful at what she's doing - Or boomers are more gullible than others. Maybe Mary Furlong has some polling data on that....

YourSpace ? Not any more

The flap over the Obama campaign taking over control of a Myspace Obama fan page from Joe Anthony started with this column, for the record. I don't have anything to add, since this little bit of news is already being jumped on by every self-respecting pundit.

So, why the post? It's because I have a little bit of soothsayering to do. Please take note of the time and date of this post. And if I'm wrong, unload on me. Here's what's going to happen. Joe Anthony is going to vote for Obama, and declare his support, publicly, and on stage. And it's going to become one of the biggest photo-ops this season. And, the Obama Myspace page is going to break 200,000 'friends', as a result. Why do I say this? Do a search for Obama on this blog, and you'll probably realize that I'm some kinda fruitcake. Allow me to add to my reputation. Sometime back, Obama had just announced his run, and after the initial flurry of attention and media coverage, there was an Obama vacuum in the press. What happened? Biden opened his mouth. My point? Edwards hires bloggers, and the ash is still smoldering over that little episode. But Obama has a tiff with the internet community, and believe me, what's going to happen is a flurry of coverage, ending with Obama climbing even higher in the polls.

Finally, time for one more fruitcake prediction - Watch out for illness and personal problems on this campaign. Going to be some very strong candidates dropping out, citing personal problems.

Editors vs. Writers

I was completing a writing job for a client, and I had to write a small paragraph about writers not having to worry about shoddy work, so long as there was an editor to clean it up. At that time, the thought struck me that that was all editors were good for.

What I mean is, how many editors are accomplished writers? If they were accomplished, they wouldn't be paper-pushers drinking stinking mugs of coffee and poring over stinking work from stinking writers, now, would they? The reason I'm crowing about this is that I was reminded that knowing the science of writing and where to put in and take out a comma doesn't make you a writer. It's whether or not you have the art of writing inside you that makes you a writer.

So, do you think writing is an art or a science? Answer will be a very good indication of whether you'll end up with your mugshot in a best-seller list or drinking coffee at 3 a.m., trying to decide whether the writer mistakenly emailed the piece to you instead of the fiction editor.

The Truth vs. Objectivity

Again, apologies for dredging up this comatose blog. Problem is, I could not think of a better place to write this. Hate Associated content, and I'm pretty sure it would have been rejected outright ( if not posted in the daily funnies section ) by any and all recieving editors. For what it's worth - The question is, to a journalist, is truth more important or objectivity?

I know where I stand on this question - The truth provides the backbone for everything I write and most of what I do. Not to say that I don't lie, but when confronted with oppposing viewpoints pulling me in different directions, I defer to the truth - And let the chips fall where they may. The reason I'm harping on this is because I feel that objective journalism ( a front for trying to appear non-partisan ) is driving the coverage. Reporters, analysts and talk-show hosts are careful to quote the viewpoints of both sides, without appearing to hold an opinion themselves. Fine, you're not an opinion columnist. Reporting waht people said is fine. But if you know a clear and plainly apparent falsehood brewed into the statements, do you still quote, without questening the falsehoods or refuting them? If it makes yu partisan, so be it. The truth must speak.

Update

Applied for a gig. Gave one of the posts on this blog as a reference. If you're the guy who I applied to, please give me a shot. If you're not the aforementioned, please ignore me.

But just the act of firing up the ol blog gives me a sense of responsibility to make a substantial post. So....

I've been struggling with my responsibilities towards a client, my conscience and the balance in my paypal. This guy seems to have a lot of dollar bills stuffed into his freezer, or his bank account. He likes the kind of research I do and over the last few months, we've reached a comfort zone where nothing much needs to be said. Upto this point, things are peachy.

Here's the problem - The reason he's asking me to do the research is because he's on a highly quixotic quest. Even leaving aside the larger picture, the focus of his every request is bound to be a major flop. And yet he keeps going. Sometime back, I tried to get him to take a more realistic approach, but I might as well have been talking to a brick wall. So I shelved the subject. But everytime he sends me a paypal, there's a small rabbit bouncing around in the back of mind, saying that you're giving him what he wants, but are you sure what he wants is what he needs?

So, after this wierd bit of navel-gazing, let's get to the meat of this post - You're a freelancer. You work hard and deliver results, to the best of your ability and as per your client's specs. But do you step back from the keyboard, and think about the success the client is going to have when he uses your material? Do you give suggestions to your client to modify his requirements, in order to give him a better chance? That, I think, would probably be the difference between a good freelancer and a professional freelancer. Of course, it could also end up with you being thrown out on your butt and the contract cancelled. All part of the game....

Freelance Jobs 7th March

Here's the jobs:-

Freelance part-time writer / editor wanted.

Web 2.0 blogger wanted. $10-20 per hour. Totally work at home and awesome gig. Perfect for a geek blogger.

Writer wanted to finish, uh...several books. This is either a bad joke by some craigslist regular who's sick and tired of all the 'writer wanted' ads or the guy who wrote the ad was punch drunk, hen-pecked and posted the ad just to spite his wife. Either way, take a look. Makes for some good reading, and you can't deny that they badly need a writer...

Someone has a few ideas, and I guess wants to get published. Though not written so explicitly, the poster is probably looking for someone to ghostwrite his book. $250-500

Handbag description writer wanted. $3 per description.

Art critic? Here's your chance to prove to momma that your obesession is finally gonna pay the bills.

Real estate web editor wanted.

'Women On Writing' mag looking for submissions from freelance writers. $50-75 per.

Weekly column writer wanted. Something to do with fashion, music, comic strips, etc.

Technical writers wanted. Well, not really. They're just filling up their list of 'available and impoverished tech. writers'. Still...

Now we're getting closer to the fun part. Shakespeare reviewers sought. It says no pay, but I guess that's beacuse of the new and tougher Craigslist rules. My guess would be that there is some monetary compensation involved.

Greenhorns wanted. Huh? Is it just me, or does it sound like the poster wants to use writers as guinea pigs for some dirty experiments? It's probably a nutty literature prof. These guys should be banned from using the internet. I'm gonna send him an email, though. And I'll post an update if I get a response.

Blog arranger wanted. LOL. Specially love the gems of wisdom part. I mean, whose blog doesn't have gems of wisdom? Ahem...Cough..Ok, let's get on with it...

Paid writing gig. Environment friendly. $.10 per word. My kinda gig.

And that's it for now. I've been posting on a forum which has some seriously flawed people. Heart goes out to them. Every post from one of them is a cry for help. But there's only so much help and advice and 'shoulder to cry on' you can offer on the net. All these people really need is some meaning to their lives. Anyway...

Blogs = Parasites ?

SiteProNews asks a question which becomes even more important considering the declining fortunes of the MSM, or old media. Are Blogs parasites? Here's the news flash - yes, they are. But they don't have to be. How is that?'

By simply co-opting the parasite. It's called evolution. Blogs stealing your readership? Start a blog. After all, the key USP for blogs is being able to be ahead of the print media in terms of news cycles. Prez making a statement? It's on the blogs, commented on, analysed, ripped apart and post-mortem'd before the MSM can even weigh in on it. So what des a savvy MSM like Time do? turn their best stars into bloggers. Go visit the Time Swampland, and you'll see what I mean. Joe Klein has an ongoing fracas with bloggers of all shades, Ana Marie Cox is weighing in on Stephen Colbert and the Libby trial. Karen Tumulty is pontificating on the '08 races. All in real time. End result? I visit the Time blog everyday, and I'm sorely tempted to join in the discussion. Now tell me, where's the parasite?

However, not every print magazine is as as smart or as net-savvy as Time. They do their reporting the old fashioned way. Dig up the stories, talk to people and call in the experts. And then they print it. And then the blogs take the facts and the meat out of the article, post it in attractively designed blockquotes with a tiny link for attribution. End result? The blog readers get the story, the facts and the analysis without even kowing who did all the work in the first place. More importantly, the print mag spends all it's money and resources, and the blog gets the clicks and dollars. That, without any reserve, is parasitic behaviour.

What's to be done? Nothing. Again, it's called evolution. Either you adapt or you're toast. Of course, there remains one tiny problem. If the host dies, so does the parasite...

Freelance Jobs 3rd March

Here's the jobs:-

Online business discussion and analysis site needs a blogger.

Proof readers ( fact checkers ) wanted for a magazine.
Note: The editor likes to drown his sorrow inside a bottle, so you might be at the recieving end of more than a few crazed emails demanding total servitude - If you get the gig.

Greeting card writers wanted. I would really like a gig like this, if only it involved steady work, instead of submissions and rejections.

Speaking about rejections, I read a column a couple of days back about being able to write, but afraid to submit. I can't remember where I read the darn thing, so you'll have to trust me on this. If you catch the fish and can't sell them, does that make you a fisherman? If you don't know how to sell your writing, you're not a writer. Period. Let me try this another way - It's really a question of motivation, not talent. Do you really, badly, need to submit your articles or manuscript? If you do, you will. If you have the luxury of choice, you probably won't. It's as simple as that. If it's the only way you can pay your bills, you'll be submitting and begging editors and laughing at someone who says they're afraid to submit.

Anyway, back to the jobs:

Transcription gig. Need a pro transcriptionist, so if you're a wannabe, best to pass this one by.

$500 writing contest. All you gotta do is write one line. Speaking of writing contests, I need to do a post on writing contests - Which basically would involve a big list of contests for writers which are held periodically, and the do's and do not's. If I don't get any new gigs this week, I'll write up the contests post. So now would be a good time for anyone suffering through my blathering to start praying that I get the gigs...

If you're planning to go for a nose job, facelift or breat enhancing surgery, hold it right there. You can get paid for it, and might even end up with a profit from the whole deal, rather than having to pay through your nose for it. Get paid to blog about your cosmetic surgery.

Want to help create a full website? new web startup needs your copywriting skills.

Freelance bloggers who blab about education, home and family, and personal finance wanted.

Freelance Jobs 26th Feb

Here's the jobs:

Cellphone blogger wanted
Chinese bloggers wanted
Paid how-to guide writers needed
A small detour here. The guy who runs the show for this gig seems to be on the right track, but there's going to be some hiccups along the way, before he makes it ( if ever he makes it ). Doesn't mean I'm being pessimistic, just realistic. I've seen too many bright sparks fizzle out to be optimistic. But then, maybe that's why I'm still broke...

Trivia writer wanted
Another short detour...The guy wants a trivia writer, and he says contact him describing your qualifications, blah, blah, blah....So what I do is write out a couple of trivia questions, their answers and send it off to him, without a single word about myself, or what I do. Nothing except the trivia. And he replies back saying he wants to talk to me. Go Figure...Ultimately what matters is whether people think you can do the job or not, irrespective of all other criteria.

Here's one more - Need NBA trivia writers for NBA online trivia game.

And one more - Children's trivia writer needed.

Creative writers wanted
Compensation? 100k+...Be careful, huh?

Want to go through biker blogs and post links on said blogs? Blog posters wanted.

Christian ghost writer wanted.

Pet care writers and bloggers wanted.

Fashion blog writer wanted. Looks to me like someone who knows squat about the internet wants to get his or her hands on a piece of the online pie. If you should get this gig, be ready to break your head against an unbshakeable wall of ignorance and suspicion.

Copy writer
wanted. $50 for 225 words.

Editor wanted for a novel.

Political writers and bloggers wanted.

Philosophy and physiology writers wanted to help author write a book.
Note: This is a serious gig, and you'll have to undergo an interview, if the author decides he likes your resume, or your pitch. Furthermore, I'm not sure whether he's going to find a writer with this oddball combination of requirements. On my part, I told him staright out I didn't have a clue about physiology. He still replied back, and it's 'under consideration'. After all, $2000 is a lotta money...

Ghost writer wanted for broadcast executive's take.

Want to write about runaway brides and Britney's breakdown and the subway hero and stuff like that? In-the-news scandal kinda website wants writers.

More DC scandals. Wnat to be a political investigator, sniffing out Washington's closets and coming up with dirt? Somebody wants a DC dirt-digger.

And that's it for now. There's a short poem buzzing about inside my head, and I've been trying to spit it out, but the end just won't arrive, and the beginning won't leave me alone. Driving me nuts, if I wan't nuts to begin with....

America - Addicted To Elections

Ideas can be pesky things. Once they start buzzing around inside your head, they refuse to pipe down, unless and until you give them an outlet. And the only outlet I have is this poor little blog and you - The hapless victim of my assault. So here goes nothing...

Granted, the 2000 election was something of a nightmare, with recounts and lawyers and the Supreme Court and chads and what not. It generated an intense amount of emotion, and got involved a lot of people into politics, who were otherwise quite happy to go about their life, and think about politics only when it was time to vote. Also granted that President Bush stoked the partisan fires some more by starting the Iraq war, which got even more previously uninterested people involved. And since 2004 wasn't far behind, it was basically a referundum on the war. So, ok I'll grant you that too.

This is where the real problem pokes it's head out. Once we had the 2004 elections out of the way, people should have been able to get back to their normal lives. Instead what happens? The campaign for 2006 begins. We all know how it turned out. Barely have the tremors subsided, and now it's all about 2008. It's supposed to be an earth shattering event, and if don't give up everything we do and focus on electing the right person, the world could come to an end. I'm absolutely convinced that the day the 2008 elections are over, it'll be on to the next one, with similar expectations and required contributions.

Stop! Enough already. Elections are meant to elect politicians so they can do their job until the next elections. Not so they can begin running for the next round. Every issue, every debate, every decision is colored by the fact of impending elections and what position would go down the best among core constituencies. This is not the way it works. The way it works is, you elect someone, let them do their job, and if you don't like the end result, you throw them out - After they get a chance to do it their way.

What's happening now is that nothing gets done, because every politician is campaigning to get elected 365 days a year. Whatever pretense of work they do, is dictated by what will help them to get elected again. Question is, why is this happening? The culprit is the MSM. Got nothing to write about? No scandals, no human interest stories, no runway brides, nothing - So, let's start beating up on whoever happens to next in line to get elected - Even if said election is a couple of years away. What they managed to do, in effect, is get Americans addicted to elections, not politics - Which is a big difference. Addiction to politics and policy, while not entirely healthy, is still commendable. But addiction to elections? That is, simply put, bad - Bad for the people, bad for the country, bad for the politicians and good for the media. Go figure.

Writers and Aspiring Writers

Allen Pierleoni, writing for the Sacramento Bee, quotes a few figures about writers and aspiring writers. "Some 24 million American adults consider themselves creative writers, but less than 5 percent have ever been published. About 175,000 book titles were released in 2006, (yet) at any given time, there are between 5 million and 6 million manuscripts looking for a publishing home"

I guess you could say that's good news - If you're a publisher, or you provide a service for aspiring writers. You think people in this country are over-educated maybe? or just plain lazy? I mean, all a writer ( an aspiring one ) today does is sit on his rump and bang away at his keyboard. I'm pretty sure there would be plenty less writers if you took all the people who do nothing but blog, and shipped them off to Iraq. Take that, John Kerry. Now you can say that if you get a proper education, you risk being hauled out to participate in the Surge, rather than just rant about it. I suspect there would also be a lot less people left behind in San Francisco. The streets would be kind of empty if you took away all the bloggers.

From another point of view, think about the Iraqis. The poor chumps risk bearing the brunt of a second wave of invaders. San Francisco bloggers and aspiring writers! Something tells me they'd be happier with Saddam..

Blogging For....

Is there anyone who blogs just for fun? Purely and simply for the joy of blogging? To let your thoughts flow, without someone starting to roll their eyes and start looking for an exit door.... Do you blog because you love to blog? Or is it for money, to pimp some product, rightwing, leftwing, whatever...

What brought on this introspective streak was an article in the NYT about debt bloggers. It's pretty good, and inspects quite a few aspects about debt blogging and the motivation, real and imagined, for the bloggers.
"A decade after the Internet became a public stage for revelations from the bedroom, it is now peering into the really private stuff: personal finance."

Point is, there's precious little motivation to blog, for the sake of earning money from the blog. So there's got to be something else, that pushes people to blog. There's more than 60 million blogs, with the number set to cross a billion in a year.
What the heck are a billion people doing blogging, if they don't earn money from it? Hence the question, why do you blog?

As for why I blog, that would be to maintain an online presence, where I can send my prospective clients. The intention was to showcase my presumed talents, but needless to say, it's not working out exactly as planned. That, I guess, would be because I have a tendency to stray off-course and start blabbing about things above my pay-grade. Being a lowly freelance writer, I should stick to blogging about that. But somehow, Obama and Hillary and McCain keep popping in. But hey, like I said, that's what a blog is for. Where you can let rip, without being hauled off to rehab.

Freelance Jobs 18th Feb

Today I realized a couple of things. All you need to have is talent. Write good, write beautiful prose and burn the midnight oil. You'll get the rewards. Secondly, even on the big, bad internet, there is a thing called trust. And it works. Beautifully.

The reason for all this blather is that I just completed one hard week of writing. I wrote - To the best of my ability. Then I sent in the stuff. Response? A big, fat paypal, along with a compliment on a job well done. So what do I do? I re-read everything I wrote. And it really looks good. Now I don't know which one makes me happier. The paypal or my writing.

Here's today's jobs:

Article writers wanted. $15 per article.

Howto guide writers wanted. $10 per guide.

Freelance writers wanted. Focus on international students in the U.S.A.

Freelance tech. blogger wanted. Manufacturing, finance, biotech., etc.

Website copywriter wanted. Knowledge of flash banner ads is a plus.

Proofreader for a novel manuscript wanted. Author is a non-US citizen with ESL.

Humor blog writer wanted, with a focus on celeb dishing.

Art blog writers wanted. Focus on news, exhibitions, and artists.

Freelance urban writers wanted. $15-30 per article.

Transcriptionist needed. $10 per tape.

Stupid Googe

There's a storm in a teacup brewing over Google's use of a strawberry and missing L in Google. I've blogged before about Google's employees being wackos, but this is one time the nutjobs at Google need some defending, and maybe some appreciation. If that is, their massive egos can take the additional praise without blowing a few gaskets.

The whole kerfuffle is over this:



First impressions - Don't try to con yourself. Here's what I went through when I first saw it on Google:

1. A thrill at being the first to discover Google screwing up.
2. A closer look at WTF is that between the O and the E.
3. Realization that it's a strawberry.
4. Taking a good look at it again. The stalk does look like an L...
5. Dismay that no one is going to digg this....

What does Google have to say about it? "When you look at the logo, you may worry that we forgot our name overnight, skipped a letter, or have decided that 'Googe' has a better ring to it," Google's Webmaster and official doodler, Dennis Hwang wrote on a company blog in response to the blogosphere's blather. "None of the above. I just know that those with true romance and poetry in their soul will see the subtlety immediately. And if you're feeling grouchy today, may I suggest eating a strawberry." Via Time.com

Steps 1-5 took me about 30 seconds to go through. Does that mean I have true romance and poetry in my soul? I don't know, but one thing I do know. Google's doodler's need a holiday - Preferably a long one, without access to the internet. And if they have nervous breakdowns or or other internet addiction withdrawal symptoms, no worries - It's all for the greater googe...

Freelance Jobs 12th Feb

Here's today's freelance jobs:

Business plan writers needed ( work at home )

Foodie writer wanted to write newsletters ( online )

Web copywriter wanted to write product descriptions and reviews ( tech. ).

Staff writers who can show the middle finger...Uh..Not exactly, but...

Joke writers wanted. $100 per. In cash. No kidding.

Wanna push a website? Website promoter wanted. This usually entails sneaking into forums or message boards, crapping your signature all over, and then hitting the road before they lynch you.

Conduct research and writeup stuff about why dogs love food. Uh...Ok.

Student researcher wanted to act as a flunky for supposedly humourous biz book writer...

Are you good at powerpoint, publisher and writing? Click here.

Okie. That's it. Today's news? Foot-In-Mouth-Against-YoMama disease has gone viral, with Aussie Prime Minister John Howard having managed to acquire said disease from U.S. Senator Joe Biden.
I have nothing to say, except "Next!"

Black And White

Obamamania continues to crash the gates. First it was will he or won't he? Then it was 'Hillary will trash him and if she doesn't, the Repuclicans will'. Next it was 'Obama isn't black enough' - With Biden adding fuel to the fire. Now we're on to Stage II - Media's going hyper on Obama and Abe Lincoln.

Such is the power of symbolism. Obama makes a speech from Springfield, and writers are tripping over themselves writing about what 'Obama has to do to live upto Lincoln' and how 'Obama can't hold a candle to Abe'. What these writers don't realize is that every additional mention of Obama and Lincoln in the same breath takes the Obama camp even closer to their desired result, and solidifies the image association in the minds of their numerous readership.

Let's go back one stage. All the articles about Obama not being black enough? What effect did they have? Reminded the audience that Obama, is indeeed, not white. And if he ain't black, what the heck is he? Black and white. White as in what people look for in a white caucasian male President. Black as in the color of his skin. But this isn't about something skin-deep, or a question of percieved impressions.

Thing is, Lincoln fought for, and gambled everything on, a fight for liberty - On behalf of freedom. He's in the history books today because he won. So can we call Abe the 1st Black President, Bubba the 2nd one and Obama the 3rd? Because end of the day, Obama's blackness, and his Lincolnness, will be measured not against his oratory. It won't be measured against a big pile of bills which he pushes through Congress. It will be measured against what he does to fight for and win, whether it be against an external enemy or the rot inside America. Black and white is fine by me, but what I'd like, more than Obama becoming a President, is for Obama to enter the history books.

Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen. He is destiny's child. But he's got a vital flaw. He does not gamble. And I don't mean in Vegas. If you ever watched a Mika Hakkinen vs. Schumaker F1 race, you'll know what I mean. Hakkinen would gamble all his chips on a stroke of genius or daring, believing in himself, while Schumaker just concentrated, race after race, on the efficiency of his car and his crew. That edge that Hakkinen had over Schumaker, sad to say - But Obama does not have it. I don't know if you can acquire such an edge, but here's hoping that Obama goes from being Black and White to being a gambler....

Oh yes. One more question. Has anyone asked Obama what he plans to do if he ends up losing?

Freelance Workers - Exploited and Stupid

Question time. Do minimum wage laws apply to freelance gigs? Nope. Why not? Stupid question. It's free market enterprise at it's worst - And best. Worst because it screws everyone, white or black, male or female, out of anything resembling a decent wage. Best because the online freelance market makes no differentiation based on the color of your skin or sex or any of the other factors normally applicable in a job market.

So here's a suggestion for the powers-that-be on Craigslist and other online job markets. Implement a minimum wage structure before it's forced on you. Make it mandatory for employers to pay a minimum level of pay. And if you want to argue about free enterprise or fiddling with market forces, I refer you to the minimum wage bill, which, after having cruised through the House, is now scheduled for debate in the U.S. Senate.

Craigslist has always been a trailblazing center for online entrepreneurs. I would like to see them kick off something like a minimum wage model for online workers, which could then spread across the internet.

You can poke your head into a hole in the sand and pretend that nothing's happening, but nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. And the time to implement an online minimum wage model is now.

Words That Work, by Frank Luntz

Following up on yesterday's 'Old rules for new writers', today we have 'Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear', from Republican pollster Frank Luntz.

Interestingly, I bumped into this book right after I read Robert Novak's column about how the Republican leadership has ostracized Luntz for ringing warning bells before the 2006 elections. Uh...Make that warning bells for the past decade.
"When Luntz in October 2005 publicly warned of rejection by voters in 2006, he was forced to deliver an abject apology before he could speak at a retreat of House Republicans held at the Library of Congress. After seven straight years on the program, Luntz was kept off last week's 2007 session at Cambridge, Md., by Boehner."

What's all the intra-party politics got to do with writing, or writers? Uh...Nothing much, so let's get to the point. Point is, look at the friggin title of the book 'Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear'. Right. So what's inside the book? Putting it simply, it's a must read - For every active political conservative....Meaning that what Luntz says, and what his audience is hearing, are two different things. He says that his book is meant for both sides of the aisle, and will help people put their words more succintly. What people are hearing is some more gospel for the right wing.

One would think that, by now, Frank Luntz would have conducted a poll to find out that people are not hearing what he intended to say. Or maybe the book says exactly what he wanted, and people are hearing exactly what he intended to say. In which case he's a liar or a hypocrite. Either way, he's toast.

Old Rules For New Writers

Stephen Wilbers, writing for the Star Tribune, Minnesota, laments the loss of a proper education for would-be writers. And he's right. Being magnificiently illiterate, I have to marvel at the great article he's put together.
"There are four rhetorical sentence types: periodic, loose, balanced (or parallel) and antithetical. If you know those sentence types and when to use them, you are more likely to write with clarity, emphasis and style. If you don't know them, you might get lucky now and then, but you are less likely to create the desired effect dependably."

If you want to know more, go read the whole piece. Or you can click here. Or here. Or here. On the other hand, to learn why a happy scribbler should be blissfully unaware of sentence structures, click here.

According to the ContraCosta Times, "Freelance videographer and blogger Josh Wolf became a full-fledged media martyr Tuesday, surpassing the U.S. record for most time spent in jail by a journalist who refused to comply with a subpoena...".
I'm sure Judith Miller, formerly Miss Run-Amok at the NYT, now a freelance journalist, must be tearing her hair apart...

And Manufacturing Talk says that "More and more people are opting to live the life of a freelance worker as businesses choose to 'flex' their skills needs...self-employment at a 10-year high, at 13.1% of the working population - a total of 3.8 million people"
Maybe more and more people are simply not able to land a regular job, and so they end up as freelancers. It's better than starving, but not by much. Just a teeny-weeny difference...So maybe just before you fall asleep tonight, think about why you wanted to be a freelancer.

Freelance Jobs 5th Feb

Here's today's freelance jobs:

Resume writers wanted. ( $80 to $100 per project )

Mortgage writers who can do a bit of research wanted. $40 per.

Wanted one creative ghostwriter. Christian writer preferred. Preferably undernourished. ( Alright. Alright. I made that one up. )

Ever been to Paris? Want to write about it? And get paid? $50 per.

Uh...Are you a business writer? There's two banks duking it out, and someone wants to do a hit piece on both of them. $600 only.

Renaissance magazine wants freelance writers to write something like this - "Hollywood or Bust! A mini-guide to relocating to Hollywood on a budget,where to live, work, eat and hang."
Muahhhaa! Ack! Cough-Cough! Sorry. Let's move on to the next job....

Got any previous experience with writing online coursework? Someone needs a freelancer to give their course material a bit of polish.

Transcriptionist needed to transcripe audio to ms-Word using express scribe. This is the kind of gig I'm looking for, tell you the truth. Unfortunately, every poster seems to want someone who's 'been there, done that'....

Tech / Gadget blogger wanted. $200 per month. This is a great gig. If you can get it.

Women's mag looking for a columnist to bloviate on stuff like marriage, troubles with in-laws, cheating boyfriends, throwing the perfect party....

Web content writers wanted.

Pundit blogger wanted. They want someone to take down Washington politicians and blowhards. Where do I sign up?